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ultimatefans's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abandonment, Rape, and Physical abuse
whatchareadingheather's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It's been awhile since I've gotten into a crime drama type book and this was a great choice to get back into the genre. This was fast-paced but with an engaging plot that didn't feel rushed. I actually imagined this as a film, and after a quick Google search I saw that JLo has been trying to get this adapted (which makes me really excited TBH).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Torture, Murder, Rape, Abandonment, and Kidnapping
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: June 28th 2023
“In order to catch the monster, she would have to drag those pieces - and the pain that came with them - out from where she had carefully stowed them and into the light.”
I still can't believe I've only just recently discovered her work, but I loved my first experience with Isabella Maldonado's writing and I've been looking forward to read more. My TBR jar thought I shouldn't wait and decided I had to pick up The Cipher ASAP. Not that I'm complaining, because I ended up having a great time reading this first book of the Nina Guerrera series! True, I don't exacty think it's credible that the FBI let's Nina actively investigate a case that is so personal to her, and especially after certain events in the plot and things escalate further and further. BUT. If you are able to suspend your belief and just enjoy the ride you will be in for a bucketload of action and suspense. The Cipher isn't afraid to go VERY dark and disturbing indeed, and this story isn't for those with a weak stomach. There is constant danger lurking around every corner, but then again the team IS hunting a twisted serial killer... Most of the story is told from Nina's POV, but I could really appreciate that some chapters were from the serial killer's POV. It definitely took the story to the next level for me! The plot isn't all that original with the cat and mouse game and the serial killer taunting the police, but it does make for a very entertaining ride and the ciphers added a nice touch. Was the final confrontation exactly credible? Maybe not, but it did make sure that the story went out with a bang. I do wish there would have been more character development in Nina beyond the basics and stereotypes, but there was enough there to make me look forward to read the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Murder, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Death, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
jillgoober's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
This was like reading a really long Criminal Minds episode (not that that's a bad thing). If you like the show, you'll probably love this book. The most interesting part of this book was the team finding more and more information about the unsub. However, the plot itself was relatively predictable. One thing that got on my nerves was the fact that the team would EVER leave Nina alone when they know this guy is out there hunting her?? It makes no sense to me that she wouldn't have another agent with her at all times for safety. That seemed like a plot hole used to make sure the Cipher was able to find her.
This was like reading a really long Criminal Minds episode (not that that's a bad thing). If you like the show, you'll probably love this book. The most interesting part of this book was the team finding more and more information about the unsub. However, the plot itself was relatively predictable. One thing that got on my nerves was the fact that the team would EVER leave Nina alone when they know this guy is out there hunting her?? It makes no sense to me that she wouldn't have another agent with her at all times for safety. That seemed like a plot hole used to make sure the Cipher was able to find her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Torture, Sexual violence, Gore, Sexual assault, and Murder
kingrosereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
I’m starting to get back into murder mystery/thriller books. When I was 12-15 years old I loved Tess Gerritsen and Iris Johansen novels, so I was looking for a more modern and diverse version of those types of books, especially books written by women and people of color. Isabella Maldonado did a great job writing the opening to the world of Nina Guerrera and I am excited to read more of Nina. I loved the book and the characters were great. There were moments when it was a bit choppy and clinical, and there wasn’t too much suspense, but I did enjoy the book as a whole. I wished the ending battle between the Cipher and Nina was a bit more drawn out. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat as much as I would’ve liked. I think because since book is marked as the first of the Nina Guerrera series I didn’t think much was at stake like I feel it would’ve been if he took Bianca and Nina. I do like that Nina came out of her shell a bit more and started a foundation of trust with her team and that the story didn’t focus on any romantic interest. Can’t wait to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Rape
Minor: Abandonment and Stalking
theresaramp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Stalking, Sexual violence, Rape, and Blood
maybhank's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
4.0
The whole book: *FBI hunting down a serial killer*
Me: cool
0.00000000000001% of the book: Kent and Nina exchange small glances at each other
Me: I SEE THE SPARK I CAN FEEL IT
Damn, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not disappoint. Though it's getting pretty dark, so I recommend checking trigger warnings before getting into it. The reason why I don't give it a 5-star is because I found the pacing was rushed at first. And it's weird for me to say that because I love fast-paced stories. The story started right away. Isabella Maldonado didn't waste any time. She dove right in. The first murder was taken place either the same night/next day after Nina's video went viral. Or maybe the video was posted on Friday and the murder happened on the weekend and she didn't know about it until Monday. But it was really fast. I didn't get to warm up to Nina before it happened. I thought maybe the killer would need more time to prepare, but as I kept reading, I realized that he had been preparing for this moment since she escaped which answered my question about the time of the first murder. But I'm still going to stick with a 4-star. I just personally prefer to get to know a main character and their life first before the main plot starts. Also, I found the climax in act 3 was a bit underwhelming because I'm dramatic and I was expecting an over the top final fight scene between Nina and the Cipher.
Another reason is that this book is heavily focused on the murder investigation and I was hoping for more romance but with Nina's past I feel it would be unrealistic for her to be dating anyone. I can relate to Nina when she's shutting people off. I never experience what she did in the book, but something in my childhood still affects how I interact with people and my childhood wasn't even that bad, so I wouldn't blame her for not wanting anyone get too close to her after what she went through. Plus, there was literally a serial killer on the loose. So I'm happy with smol moments she shared with Kent throughout the book. I don't even think Nina even knows that man is simping for her. I like that Kent respects her boundaries and knows better to not pursue her, but you can still tell that he cares about her.
Beside the rush beginning and me wanting more romance in a thriller about a serial killer, I really enjoyed this book. I love how through Isabella Maldonado is with her research. I don't know a thing about how FBI works, but I can tell that she put a lot of work into her researches about law enforcement and also the Cipher's riddles. I love when authors do that. It makes the story feel real. The cast is also very diverse in term of race. The way Isabella Maldonado writes them feel natural. You can she doesn't include the cast of POC characters just for the sake of diversity. Though I didn't see any LGBTQ characters. If there's any, she didn't openly mention it. But again as I mentioned earlier, this book is heavily focused on the murder investigation, not characters' personal life. I don't even think any of the character's significant other was mentioned once.
And I like how the friendship between Nina and her partner, Ward developed. It's so heartwarming to see Nina went from resenting him for trying to keep her out of the force and Ward from underestimating her abilities due to her past to understanding where the other is coming from. The ending was also wholesome. I love how it ended. I also like that we get to read chapters from the killer's POV. That's my kind of shit.
This book is a good example of Show Don't Tell. The author trusts us to put two and two together. Whether it's about how Nina's childhood trauma affected her, the Cipher's motives behind his games, the friendship between Nina and Ward, or when Kent started catching some feelings. Definitely will continue the series. I'm so happy that this book lives up my expectations because I just read 3 2-star books in a row and I FANALLY READ A BOOK I ACTUALLY ENJOYED
Content Warnings: Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Me: cool
0.00000000000001% of the book: Kent and Nina exchange small glances at each other
Me: I SEE THE SPARK I CAN FEEL IT
Damn, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not disappoint. Though it's getting pretty dark, so I recommend checking trigger warnings before getting into it. The reason why I don't give it a 5-star is because I found the pacing was rushed at first. And it's weird for me to say that because I love fast-paced stories. The story started right away. Isabella Maldonado didn't waste any time. She dove right in. The first murder was taken place either the same night/next day after Nina's video went viral. Or maybe the video was posted on Friday and the murder happened on the weekend and she didn't know about it until Monday. But it was really fast. I didn't get to warm up to Nina before it happened. I thought maybe the killer would need more time to prepare, but as I kept reading, I realized that he had been preparing for this moment since she escaped which answered my question about the time of the first murder. But I'm still going to stick with a 4-star. I just personally prefer to get to know a main character and their life first before the main plot starts. Also, I found the climax in act 3 was a bit underwhelming because I'm dramatic and I was expecting an over the top final fight scene between Nina and the Cipher.
Another reason is that this book is heavily focused on the murder investigation and I was hoping for more romance but with Nina's past I feel it would be unrealistic for her to be dating anyone. I can relate to Nina when she's shutting people off. I never experience what she did in the book, but something in my childhood still affects how I interact with people and my childhood wasn't even that bad, so I wouldn't blame her for not wanting anyone get too close to her after what she went through. Plus, there was literally a serial killer on the loose. So I'm happy with smol moments she shared with Kent throughout the book. I don't even think Nina even knows that man is simping for her. I like that Kent respects her boundaries and knows better to not pursue her, but you can still tell that he cares about her.
Beside the rush beginning and me wanting more romance in a thriller about a serial killer, I really enjoyed this book. I love how through Isabella Maldonado is with her research. I don't know a thing about how FBI works, but I can tell that she put a lot of work into her researches about law enforcement and also the Cipher's riddles. I love when authors do that. It makes the story feel real. The cast is also very diverse in term of race. The way Isabella Maldonado writes them feel natural. You can she doesn't include the cast of POC characters just for the sake of diversity. Though I didn't see any LGBTQ characters. If there's any, she didn't openly mention it. But again as I mentioned earlier, this book is heavily focused on the murder investigation, not characters' personal life. I don't even think any of the character's significant other was mentioned once.
And I like how the friendship between Nina and her partner, Ward developed. It's so heartwarming to see Nina went from resenting him for trying to keep her out of the force and Ward from underestimating her abilities due to her past to understanding where the other is coming from. The ending was also wholesome. I love how it ended. I also like that we get to read chapters from the killer's POV. That's my kind of shit.
This book is a good example of Show Don't Tell. The author trusts us to put two and two together. Whether it's about how Nina's childhood trauma affected her, the Cipher's motives behind his games, the friendship between Nina and Ward, or when Kent started catching some feelings. Definitely will continue the series. I'm so happy that this book lives up my expectations because I just read 3 2-star books in a row and I FANALLY READ A BOOK I ACTUALLY ENJOYED
Content Warnings: Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Stalking
megtristao's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
I felt like I was reading a Criminal Minds episode. Entertaining, unrealistic at times, and exhibited various levels of depravity. So, would recommend to Criminal Minds fans! One of my favorite aspects was the use of clues by "The Cipher," but I was disappointed we didn't get to see all the clues to work it out for ourselves. #armchairdetective
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Stalking, and Murder
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