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3.17 AVERAGE
3.17 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
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
A really good version of a psychological thriller. Kept me wanting to read on. Slight disappointing melodramatic end.
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This book was so good. I couldn't put it down. There were parts where I was holding my breath and my heart was pounding. Highly recommend this one.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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
A terribly frustrating, underwhelming read. I regret spending money on this.
This is less thriller, more family drama, trauma and secrets - and it just went on and on. The ending was also pretty lacklustre. I felt disconnected from every character. The writing felt juvenile or repetitive. The logic of the characters decisions or behaviour felt unrealistic. I may glean that part of this may have been inspired perhaps by real life clinical cases (from the authors clinical therapy experiences) of families not knowing how to approach their child after the trauma of abduction, but the parental handling of the daughter Abigail, the victim, was just intelligible.
I listened to an audible copy of this. While it entertained me somewhat for my car trips, so much could have been edited out, the depth of "mystery" was too unreachable, and eventually infuriating when the reveal didn't add up to much. I also felt myself cringe every time I heard "mummy! mummy!" and I skipped through plenty of irrelevant family babbles. If there is going to be an intense focus on the mundane, I'd expect some relevant twists or reveals. This was one sappy read about insecure parenting, and I don't think it appropriately grasped the nature of Abigail's trauma. The excessive use of hints of blame to Abigail's family just felt neurotic and perhaps contributed to the lacklustre ending. I just didn't care for this type of painful drama.
I would not recommend this if you're into thrills.
This is less thriller, more family drama, trauma and secrets - and it just went on and on. The ending was also pretty lacklustre. I felt disconnected from every character. The writing felt juvenile or repetitive. The logic of the characters decisions or behaviour felt unrealistic. I may glean that part of this may have been inspired perhaps by real life clinical cases (from the authors clinical therapy experiences) of families not knowing how to approach their child after the trauma of abduction, but the parental handling of the daughter Abigail, the victim, was just intelligible.
I listened to an audible copy of this. While it entertained me somewhat for my car trips, so much could have been edited out, the depth of "mystery" was too unreachable, and eventually infuriating when the reveal didn't add up to much. I also felt myself cringe every time I heard "mummy! mummy!" and I skipped through plenty of irrelevant family babbles. If there is going to be an intense focus on the mundane, I'd expect some relevant twists or reveals. This was one sappy read about insecure parenting, and I don't think it appropriately grasped the nature of Abigail's trauma. The excessive use of hints of blame to Abigail's family just felt neurotic and perhaps contributed to the lacklustre ending. I just didn't care for this type of painful drama.
I would not recommend this if you're into thrills.
mysterious
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:
Complicated
its not a bad book, i was just bored. maybe i just dont like "horror/thriller" books. Its not really all that tense when i can just put tge book down and walk away. i think the last couple chapters were pretty okay tho.
Thank you to @harlequinaus for sending me a copy for review. I really enjoyed this one, it had be hooked from the start and I didn't want to put it down! It is told from the POV of Anne, Abigails mother and Jess, Abigails cousin and best friend. The story flowed well and was a good pace. Throughout it I wanted to know what was going to happen next and what lies had been told that might effect everything that was happening and had happened. I kept trying to predict what the lies were and what maybe had happened but i was wrong each time
A very strong 4/5. Despite being marketed as a thriller, this isn't one. Really, it's literary fiction. The main story is about the return of a preciously kidnapped girl, now 15, and how she reintegrates into the family. It's aborbing, quick to read, and the characters are easy to invest in. The Big Secret is hinted at too often without being developed on until the very end, which makes it quite contrived. The Big Secret doesn't turn out to be a very significant one for the reader. But as this book's strengths lie elsewhere, it doesn't really harm it. Though the reason for not giving Abigail a POV is likely to be so that the reader shares Anne and Jess' distance from her, it's would have been good to explore some of her feelings as she is robbed of agency, and is more of a plot device than a person.