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northernfleabag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Grief, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
sharanle0808's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
I consider myself to be a fanatic of carefully curated prose. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I cannot help myself. At first, the writing was captivating and I expected myself to be impressed even further. However, towards the end, the quality of the prose declined, and I couldn't fail to notice, at which point, I became rather annoyed. Again, I'm well aware that prose is not the sole criterion to evaluate the value of a book, but this is entirely down to my personal taste.
Plot-wise, I think it's okay. The first half stood out to me more, and it was a harmonizing blend between mystery/thriller and litfic, which is usually up to my alley. But as the story proceeded, it shifted into being slightly unbelievable. I don't mind the violence mentioned, but I also struggle to feel that they're necessary. Some of the plotlines or details could have been omitted. I wasn't really intrigued by the backstory of Aggie's trauma, despite how relevant I recognized it was to the primary plotline. I have a feeling that had McConaghy decided to diminish that aspect of the book, I would have been more engrossed. In short, I could have done without it. On top of that, I'm quite nitpicky when it comes to a rushed ending. The ending just flashed by, or it seemed, and I was totally underwhelmed. Some conflicts were solved very easily within a few lines.
It's such a shame because, at the start, I had so much connection with the main character, but due to the rushed ending combined with the increasingly plain prose, Inti was turned from a complex female character with profound thoughts into a violent caricature (I do not deny her traumatic experiences, but the author failed to inflict a strong emotion on me with the character).
However, I'm still glad that I read this book. I don't think it's a bad book at all. In fact, I think it's pretty impressive. It was a nice palette cleanser to my reading slump, and it was the first book I've ever read on Kindle so I do hold a sentimental attachment to it. Moreover, the book conveys a vital message about wildlife conservation. I would definitely recommend it to someone who opts for mystery/thriller novels and is interested in diving into an atmospheric setting of the wild forests.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, Terminal illness, Animal death, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Dementia
norahc's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
mbomersheim's review
- 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? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Animal death, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, Stalking, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abortion
kld2128's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, and Murder
mdwsn27's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Gore, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Rape, Stalking, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Abortion, and Confinement
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Abortion
cuddlewithbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I'm not sure what to say, I picked this up on a whim thinking I would enjoy biologists in Scotland but it was so much darker than that. Obviously I needed to know what was next but it was so graphic and sometimes felt unnecessary. Though I can see the power in looking and feeling uncomfortable.
I just didn't like it, especially in regards to the treatment of the animals in the book. If you don't like animal deaths, I really would not pick this one up.
It's for someone but it's not for me.
Graphic: Gore, Death, Animal death, Blood, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Rape
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Child abuse, and Death of parent
carolinefran's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Stalking, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Abortion, Dementia, Drug use, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Misogyny, Police brutality, Stalking, and Vomit
jjreads331's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual content, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Dementia, and Gun violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Vomit, Classism, and Abandonment