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hannahaltenburg's review
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Aspects I really liked:
- connecting the day-to-day and magic elements that are part of the main characters world
- the suspense of the crime storyline; not many other books that feel atmospheric
- Presentation of the topics: missing a parent, feeling alone, bullying
Aspects I did not love:
- the flawed relationship of father and daugther is just sad to follow
- the ending is just a very short summary of how the life of the main character has changed after the main stroy lines are resolved, could have been more complex and embedded in a scene
- connecting the day-to-day and magic elements that are part of the main characters world
- the suspense of the crime storyline; not many other books that feel atmospheric
- Presentation of the topics: missing a parent, feeling alone, bullying
Aspects I did not love:
- the flawed relationship of father and daugther is just sad to follow
- the ending is just a very short summary of how the life of the main character has changed after the main stroy lines are resolved, could have been more complex and embedded in a scene
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Alcoholism
chelsboooks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Pine had a mild feeling of discomfort throughout, but it was more of a dark mystery with some creepy undertones than a gothic horror. I enjoyed it in the end - though I did nearly dnf at 5p and then 150 pages. I just wanted to know who did it and that was just enough to keep me going. And honestly I really loved the cover and didn't want it to be a let down 😂
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
beca_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book is eerie and gothic, honestly I've not many other books that feel this atmospheric. I would say that this book is not marketed properly, as I was sold it as a thriller but I would say it is Gothic Horror. Not an awful lot happens in this book, but the description of Scotland and the forest alone is brilliant. Mental health, yet not directly mentioned is dealt with within the book, as well as poverty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Lesbophobia
my_plant_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Bullying
Moderate: Grief, Animal death, Murder, and Kidnapping
mercurialbooks's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was disappointing because it was sold as "spine-chilling".
It is a slightly haunting tale where the cold weather and Scottish pine woodland are atmospheric and beautiful. Unfortunately the characters do not live up to the same level of description and I didn't find myself warming to them. A father and daughter are the subjects of village gossip after the mother went missing ten years ago. The father has not thrived in that decade, he is struggling. The daughter it seems has mostly raised herself.
There is an exciting event written on the back of the book that a reader might anticipate happens quite quickly and make this book a thriller, as it was marketed. It doesn't actually occur till around the last 100 pages. I feel removing this from the blurb in any future additions might help the pace feel more natural.
It is a slightly haunting tale where the cold weather and Scottish pine woodland are atmospheric and beautiful. Unfortunately the characters do not live up to the same level of description and I didn't find myself warming to them. A father and daughter are the subjects of village gossip after the mother went missing ten years ago. The father has not thrived in that decade, he is struggling. The daughter it seems has mostly raised herself.
There is an exciting event written on the back of the book that a reader might anticipate happens quite quickly and make this book a thriller, as it was marketed. It doesn't actually occur till around the last 100 pages. I feel removing this from the blurb in any future additions might help the pace feel more natural.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Confinement
emilyvictoria98's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I enjoyed this book while reading it and I did find myself itching to turn the page and find out what happens next especially as we get further into the book but the more I thought about it afterwards, the more I discovered some unanswered questions which did diminish my enjoyment of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism
booksof_fern's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
ellen147's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death and Bullying
carebess's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, and Suicide
fdallachy's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Trying to be objective, this is a well-written book. It's atmospheric and it succeeds in building a sense of dread as it goes along. It does trade a little bit in Scottish stereotypes but, depressingly, most of them feel fairly accurate so this isn't exactly a flaw.
More subjectively, I don't like books about neglected or abused children, so this was never going to gel with me. I also have a fairly low tolerance for New Age spiritualism, which means the spooky happenings occasionally felt silly to me rather than suspenseful. When dealing with those drawbacks, what's left isn't original or interesting enough to have kept me engaged.
Overall, then, I think it's a good book that others would enjoy, I just didn't myself.
More subjectively, I don't like books about neglected or abused children, so this was never going to gel with me. I also have a fairly low tolerance for New Age spiritualism, which means the spooky happenings occasionally felt silly to me rather than suspenseful. When dealing with those drawbacks, what's left isn't original or interesting enough to have kept me engaged.
Overall, then, I think it's a good book that others would enjoy, I just didn't myself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse