Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Dry by Jane Harper

13 reviews

wandering_canuck's review

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 intense stars!!

I read this in one sitting. I was captivated from the opening sentence to the last word. I picked up this book only because it was a prompt for a reading challenge and I expect it to make my top 10 of 2024. 

Exceptional writing. Harper builds a vivid landscape, where the 

This is how a mystery-thriller should be written. The story was well fleshed out. Harper avoids the pitfalls of convenience and coincidence to make the story fit the outcome. Two whodunits within one novel, and both told in a way that left you guessing until the end. Though there are no loose ends left to be tied up, I never once felt I was being led by the hand. Her writing kept me engaged and I happily buckled in to ride out the story until the very end. 

This book was simply brilliant and would make a great book club read. I'll definitely pick up another of her novels. She has me hooked!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Bullying, Gun violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship

emfield's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Alcoholism, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Child abuse, and Excrement

Minor: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Animal death

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal death, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Outing, Death of parent, Dementia, and Misogyny

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Child death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide and Domestic abuse

Minor: Addiction

dreadpiraterudis's review

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, and Murder

so_hull's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

emmaseyb's review

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Gun violence

Moderate: Suicide and Child death

Minor: Racism, Alcoholism, and Addiction

themomwithabook's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Review of The Dry by Jane Harper:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Aaron Falk, a Federal police investigator, returns home after being run out of town with his father nearly two decades ago.  Falk is reluctant to return home but he’s come to pay his respects to his late friend, Luke, and his wife and son who were found dead.  The town believes that it was a murder-suicide and that Luke was responsible for the death of his family and Falk was ready to accept that.  That is until Luke’s parents ask Falk to investigate because they think there is more to the story.  While the entire town harasses Falk for something 20-years ago, the reason he was run out of town, he persists in his investigation only to start doubting the theory of murder-suicide.  So what really happened and how and why did a family end up dead?

A police procedural that is gripping and filled with secrets.  It’s hard to tell who is telling the truth and who is hiding something.  I loved feeling like I was helping to solve a mystery, trying to put pieces together only to find out there’s more to the story.  This book is paced well, has a compelling narrative, and has great character development.  I’m excited to read the second book in the Aaron Falk series.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Murder, Abuse, Addictions

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Addiction

kitty03's review

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Suicide

amberinbookland's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Misogyny, Incest, Grief, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Death, and Cursing

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Self harm