You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
bkarpowicz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
emoduke101'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Grief
Moderate: Murder and Pregnancy
ashme's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
alibeanxela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Pregnancy
kt314's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Pregnancy
pumaliontiger'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Pregnancy
alexisdavis528's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Torture, Medical trauma, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Infertility, Physical abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
miarae's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
afterplague's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Then She Was Gone is about Laurel, a woman whose daughter went missing ten years prior. Ellie was a very smart, very beautiful girl who never really got in trouble, but when no evidence arises from her case, it’s assumed that she was simply a runaway who never returned home. Laurel is finally able to begin moving on with her life when remains are found that are identified as Ellie’s. She meets a charming man named Floyd who has a nine year old daughter who looks extremely like Ellie.
I think this book is… really predictable in some ways. I don’t really think that’s a bad thing in a thriller necessarily. Sometimes I just need to read something easy, and this fit the bill perfectly. The writing style is really quick, and it keeps the story moving at an excellent pace. So, it doesn’t really matter that I immediately knew what happened to Ellie. I knew what Poppy’s deal was.
That’s not to say that the details of how everything played out weren’t interesting. I especially liked seeing the events unfold from different perspectives. We were able to get deeper into Noelle’s head or Floyd’s head and see how their backgrounds and experiences affected the way they thought and the actions they took. I also found them distinct from Laurel’s perspective.
I do think there was the insinuation of a further mystery with Poppy that remained a little unresolved. Why was she so isolated from her family? Why was she homeschooled? Why was she so, for lack of a better word, weird? I was expecting more of a confession from Floyd on that point, but it wasn’t really important in the end. I think Poppy was just weird to create a bit of discomfort in the reader. There were other small things that didn’t really matter, like SJ’s boyfriend. There was just a bit of unnecessary fat that could be trimmed.
I liked the characters well enough. Laurel is a compelling character who evolves and grows over the course of the story, and it was nice to see her reconnecting and rebuilding her family after a devastating loss. Floyd plays his part well as the “too good to be true” new boyfriend. He was just suspicious enough to be interesting, but not so much so that he became an unrealistic character. I surprisingly also really appreciated the ex-husband Paul. It was a refreshing take on this kind of dynamic because of the lack of bitterness and blame after their separation. Noelle, too, had some depth to her that created a more interesting story than what was on the surface.
I was a little surprised with how sad the story concluded. I never really believed that the remains found were Ellie’s, but I was really surprised how that ended up. I still think it was a good ending, but definitely sad.
I would recommend Then She Was Gone if you don’t mind a thriller that’s not particularly twisty. It’s an easy read, and I enjoyed it!
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse and Death
jasmine0705's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death