Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Dry by Jane Harper

4 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

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

This is a story set in a drought in a rural Australian town where a double-murder/suicide has just happened. The cops, not being satisfied with that story start up an off-books investigation that unravels all of this small town’s secrets. I really liked the premise and all of the twists and turns, but the pacing was a little slow for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Murder

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

magca'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child death

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal death

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