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salemnities's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Points off for dead baby. But very effective thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
katiiekhaos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I feel like the blurb calling it a psychological thriller may lead people to think this book is something very different then what it actually is. It’s a lot slower than your typical thriller and written differently as the whole story is told as an internal monologue. I do think this style choice works really well for the story, you feel so close to Olga and can see how her mind is working but that is also what makes you feel uncomfortable and weary of her.
I really struggled getting through the first 1/3 of the book, however the ending definitely makes it worth it and I do think it’s worthwhile persevering. However if the book had of been shorter (a novella maybe), and the tension grew at a faster pace I probably would have enjoyed it more. Those setups and reveals were genius though and at the end I kept going back and thinking about all the things I didn’t pick up in the moment. The audiobook narrator also does a great job depicting the characters declining mental state.
I really struggled getting through the first 1/3 of the book, however the ending definitely makes it worth it and I do think it’s worthwhile persevering. However if the book had of been shorter (a novella maybe), and the tension grew at a faster pace I probably would have enjoyed it more. Those setups and reveals were genius though and at the end I kept going back and thinking about all the things I didn’t pick up in the moment. The audiobook narrator also does a great job depicting the characters declining mental state.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Child death, and Toxic relationship
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