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minimicropup's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
Although survival thrillers are rarely for me, I found this one sooo tense and stressful. I hated how it made me feel, but I was captivated!
Energy: Hostile. Distressing. Ruthless.
Scene: 🇮🇩 Set on a small, deserted island outfitted for a new reality tv show off the coast of Jakarta, Indonesia.
Perspective: We follow a virologist post-doc (30s) asked by their actor-wannabe partner to audition for a new reality show meant to test the strength of a couple’s bond. We also get snippets from the diary of a 22-year old contestant on the show. Leading up to the disaster, emergency radio calls foreshadow what’s to come.
🐕 Howls: The reality tv intrigue too quickly overshadowed by survival horrors (but that may be a plus for others). The overall book felt a little too long for me.
🐩 Tail Wags: The characters and how they’re written. The hint of extreme horror energy in certain scenes. Slow and steady pacing. Overall writing style and attention to detail. Atmosphere.
🤔 Random Thoughts:
There are a lot of unlikeable characters. They’ll make you angry; it was tense, pettiness, bickering, chest-puffing stuff especially when things were already high-stakes.
If you want fast-paced action-adventure the ethical cerebral moments may feel like interruptions, but they saved me from being exhausted by all the terrible visceral moments.
The characters and atmosphere formed around me as I was listening. Imogen Church is my fav audio narrator when paired with Ruth Ware’s storytelling style. Expressive but not melodramatic.
Prepare for extreme survival horror elements. The injuries and consequences of actions play out much like they would in nature. We get an immersive description of the smells, sounds, and sights and all the emotional aftermaths.
I got a sense for how many days were passing on the island because it felt like I’d been reading for that long!
🤓 Reader Role: Tagging along with Lila who is telling us the story from her perspective. Sometimes we are in her mind and other times watching from afar. Also a bit of a time jumper as we get glimpses into the future.
🗺️ World-Building: Immersive, layered, and atmospheric.
🔥 Fuel: What is the real story behind this reality show? What will the other couples be like? Will Nico and Lila’s relationship survive the show? Will the anyone survive?
📖 Cred: Not impossible + hyper-realistic moments
📖 Cred: Not impossible + hyper-realistic moments
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Crystal blue. Warm waves. Soft sand. Tropical summer breeze. Palm forests. Wood oil and fresh paint. Blood. Flies. Salt water. Stale pastry. Decomposition. Body odour. Terror.
- Reality TV gone Fyre Festival level wrong
- Descriptive human vs nature & human vs human survival thriller on a tropical island
- Ethical exploration and commentary around survival, murder, society, death, relationship abuse, and grief.
------
Content Heads-Up: Relationship breakdown. Verbal abuse. Body gore (graphic; blood, injury, wounds, fatalities). Corpse (discovery of, handling). Loss of romantic partner. Tropical storm (waves, destruction, high winds). Violence (physical). Murder. Psychopathy. Adult/minor relationship. Suicide (mention). Abusive partner (controlling, violent). Medical (diabetic shock).
Rep: French. British. Olive, tan, pale skin tones. Gay. Heterosexual. Cisgender. Diabetes. Diverse body sizes.
📚 Format: Library Audio
My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Medical content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide
chiantechick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
strawberrymivvy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A tautly written psychological drama that reminded me why I enjoyed the It Girl so much. Ruth Ware's books are often slightly out of the ordinary in their setting/plot which makes them all the more page turners.
Lyla is an educated woman working in viral research, her partner a wannabe actor who takes her for granted. He persuades her to join him on a new reality TV show where he's convinced he'll get his big break. As they arrive on an island in the middle of nowhere they find a similar story with the other couples - not everyone is excited to be there or an obvious reality TV star. Almost immediately tensions heat up, then a huge storm leaves them cut off from the rest of the world and having to fend for themselves.
As the body count rises, can they work out what is happening and who can be trusted?
This was a real page turner and until about 50 pages from the end I wasn't sure which way it was going to go, but then it fell a little flat at the end and didn't deliver any real surprise. None of the characters were particularly loveable, even Lyla as she seemed to capitulate to Nico so quickly - in reality I can't see her dropping everything to go on a reality TV show.
Lyla is an educated woman working in viral research, her partner a wannabe actor who takes her for granted. He persuades her to join him on a new reality TV show where he's convinced he'll get his big break. As they arrive on an island in the middle of nowhere they find a similar story with the other couples - not everyone is excited to be there or an obvious reality TV star. Almost immediately tensions heat up, then a huge storm leaves them cut off from the rest of the world and having to fend for themselves.
As the body count rises, can they work out what is happening and who can be trusted?
This was a real page turner and until about 50 pages from the end I wasn't sure which way it was going to go, but then it fell a little flat at the end and didn't deliver any real surprise. None of the characters were particularly loveable, even Lyla as she seemed to capitulate to Nico so quickly - in reality I can't see her dropping everything to go on a reality TV show.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death
meridith_bex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
gabbyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Suicide
juanat77's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cursing, Death, Alcohol, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, Vomit, Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Eating disorder, and Violence
thefarmwifereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
seacowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, Suicide, and Murder
cayleybp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Synopsis:
While trapped on a desert island a group of strangers there for a supposed dating show must survive, as a murder tries to take them out one by one.
Review:
As to the ending, I knew something was hinky with the show they were supposed to be on, but not what it was exactly and I loved that final twist.
The book was a bit long though, it seemed to drag in parts which is why it took me so long (for me) to read, there were days I didn't press play to listen because it was hard to get through. Though some of that may have been the subject matter, lots of murder, domestic abuse, and gaslighting, plus medical-type content i.e., dehydration and starvation.
Overall a good book even if it was tough for me to read, it got into many topics that need to be discussed more.
Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars
I always have mixed feelings about this narrator. She does a good job with tonal shifts and emotions, but sometimes her voice grates on me.
Review:
As to the ending, I knew something was hinky with the show they were supposed to be on, but not what it was exactly and I loved that final twist.
The book was a bit long though, it seemed to drag in parts which is why it took me so long (for me) to read, there were days I didn't press play to listen because it was hard to get through. Though some of that may have been the subject matter, lots of murder, domestic abuse, and gaslighting, plus medical-type content i.e., dehydration and starvation.
Overall a good book even if it was tough for me to read, it got into many topics that need to be discussed more.
Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars
I always have mixed feelings about this narrator. She does a good job with tonal shifts and emotions, but sometimes her voice grates on me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Grief, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Blood, Gore, Sexism, Suicide, and Vomit
Minor: Eating disorder, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic