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minimicropup's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Narration: 👎
Okay, except for the male voices. Narrator tried to deepen their voice too much and came off extremely cartoonish.
Atmosphere: 👎
Claustrophobic, confusing, very in the MC’s mind (suitable for the plot).
Imagination Smasher: This author committed a major offence…they let imagination bloom then stomped on it. Easily could have included location and unique house details earlier in the story because for whatever reason in my mind ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE IN A LAS VEGAS SUBURB WHEN THE AUTHOR DID THAT AND THAT IS NOT WHERE THEY WERE THE WHOLE TIME, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
Imagination Smasher: This author committed a major offence…they let imagination bloom then stomped on it. Easily could have included location and unique house details earlier in the story because for whatever reason in my mind ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE IN A LAS VEGAS SUBURB WHEN THE AUTHOR DID THAT AND THAT IS NOT WHERE THEY WERE THE WHOLE TIME, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
Main POV: 👍
Our MC comes across as sweet, patient, self-doubting, and caring. They recently experienced unexpected trauma at work and are doing their best to cope while their support network expects some quick-fix. They have a good sense of self, but recent events involving their brother-in-law and his string of Dateline NBC worthy relationships have led them to doubt their safety around him. They view his latest girlfriend as a potential victim and are making it their life’s mission to save her.
Cred Rating: 👎
Plausible interpersonal dynamics. People are guilt-parenting, getting gaslighted by loved ones, intruded on by family with no boundaries, and staying in toxic relationships. The ending was a fail to me. Villain droning on about their plan… a far-fetched long-con with a shaky motive.
Show’n’Tell: 👎
Telling, and I want it to stop because it’s too over-the-top. I GET IT. Like someone showing a green crayon but getting sidetracked over it not really being green because it’s called seagreen, so maybe it’s blue, even though it looks green, because the sea is blue, but maybe sea green doesn’t mean blue.
Growls and Howls: 🐺
-OTT “Men” vs “Women” trope
-Off-plot guilt-parenting of a 6 year old: kid whipping a ball against the house so everyone lives with a headache and tension bc he wont stop when they ask. They let him torment the cats so they have to hide. When he’s being bossy it gets chuckles.
-Lazy cliffhangers via dialog delays. A question is asked but we get a paragraph of how the character feels and reminding us of very recent plot points before we hear the answer to the question. Or the 6-year old interrupts and they just go quiet instead of redirecting him.
-On a similar note: spoon-feeding of recurring plot points. Did the author think their readers took month long breaks between chapters?
Reading Journey: 😶
Straight road with many sudden sharp turns. Why did they build it this way? Are we there yet?
Potential Good Match if you like stories with:
-Gaslighting
-Family drama centred around emotional incest and trauma bonding
-Semi-unreliable narrator (all the men think she’s nuts but she’s pretty sure she’s not trope)
-Whodunnits
-Amateur sleuthing
-Deep in the MC’s every thought narratives
-Infuriating husband trope
-villain monologues and “scooby doo mystery” type conclusions
Vibes: 🤪😤😑
Content Heads-Up: Depictions of workplace violence involving a firearm.
Format: Audible
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Mass/school shootings
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