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sunsetcity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
sm_moon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder and Child death
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, and Car accident
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The biggest issue was the pacing. There was no thorough investigation of the murders as there was really only one track that Stevie investigated, making the plot THIN. Why weren't there proper red herrings??? And then ALL of a sudden, Stevie has solved the mystery. I'm not even kidding, it just happens out the blue when I thought there would be at least a chapter or more till the big reveal.
The second worst thing was that I don't think Johnson did her research, which made it feel like a cash grab (this was not helped by the fact that the writing was a little sloppy and repetitive, which led me to think it had been rushed through the writing and editing process). Any person interested in true crime worth their salt KNOWS the significance of stabbing as a murder method, especially how many times a person is stabbed, and also knows that spree killers exist. These two things are incredibly relevant to the crime that took place, given four people were stabbed to death (a different number of times) in one night. Yet they are NEVER DISCUSSED.
Finally, the characters. Nate was a true saving grace in this. I loved him, and I loved his character development (even if THAT felt a little rushed and behind the scenes). I also liked that Johnson set it up in the beginning that the story would only feature Stevie, Nate and Janelle, as I really like this trio and their dynamic. But then DAVID comes on the scene. His presence was simply unnecessary, and he was only included to offer some relationship drama, which wasn't needed as it took space away from the already thin plot.
So, yeah. I did not like this. I really hope Johnson doesn't release any more books in this series because I will feel obligated to read them as I am a completionist, but I have lost all faith that I might enjoy them.
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Cursing, Gun violence, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Minor: Vomit, Blood, Cancer, Mental illness, Gun violence, Death of parent, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Suicide, Homophobia, War, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, Ableism, and Sexual content
Hunting, internalised misogyny, loss of a loved one, motorbike accident, incarceration, Naziscasreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Child death, and Cursing
bookishgoob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Body horror
puddleshoes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Medical content, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident
thelastairbadger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Child death, Drug use, and Mental illness
cherry__tomatoes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Drug use, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol and Car accident
Minor: Blood and Vomit
dilani's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Child death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, and War
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The focus is definitely more plot heavy in this one though—it makes for a quick read, but there wasn't really a ton of development for our characters. I wanted David to be present for more of the story. I love the friendships that Stevie has with Nate and Janelle and those got more focus than her relationship with David, I thought. The new characters were interesting, though I don't think any would stick around for a new story (if there are ever more books about Stevie, which I would definitely still read).
I didn't guess the mystery and I liked how it all came together at the end. The story feels very fast though; I don't know if that was a good thing or not. By the end, I realized that not even a week had gone by. But I supposed such is the way with many mystery books.
This book didn't spoil anything much from the original trilogy, so I don't think you have to read the trilogy before reading this one. But I would recommend reading the trilogy first, as you'll understand the characters a lot better—they get more development and complexity in those books.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Child death, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders