Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

93 reviews

isabezza's profile picture

isabezza's review

4.5
dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

I don't often read thrillers but Lisa Jewell is my go-to. Each novel I have read has been packed with suspense and disturbing psychology and this story was no different. The story discusses family dynamics after trauma and contains a distressing mystery. I really enjoyed the multiple POV which garnered an insight into each characters motivations and perspectives of others. A little slower than some of her other mysteries but ultimately just as gripping. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

i loved the twists in this book i hate when i can guess but a few of them really caught me by surprise. the characters felt fleshed out and human and the emotion and writing was brill. didn’t feel very tense apart from towards the end but that’s really the only thing.

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jpt007's profile picture

jpt007's review

4.75
adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This was a book I chose to read on a whim while on a Barnes and nobles run with a friend, and wow I just have to say my luck that day was really good! 

Characters- 5/5*
The characters felt rich, deep, and most importantly real. You hated some of them but understood the 3D image of them.
It was impressive Jewell even did that with such a horrible person as Noelle Donnelly. Authors sometimes struggle to give depth to “villains” but Jewell did it beautifully.

Conflict- 5/5*
Once you get into it you couldn’t put the book down. Trust me I tried! 

Plot- 5/5*
The structure of the story was beautifully done. Even the exposition drew you in. Every moment of the journey had thus unsettling feeling that just made the book so much better.

Setting- 4.5/5* 
It was basic but that was the point. I added the the gravity of the story an every day neighborhood. My only complaint is as someone not from London I was lost with a few thing and would have loved a hair more description. (But that’s just me being knit-picky)

Theme- 5/5*
Even after life gives you hell you can find a way to live again, it will take time, but you can do it.
also never inform gut feelings!
I wasn’t expecting to cry from a book like this but at the end I was left with a message I really needed to hear.

Overall Score: 4.9/5⭐️

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a thrill and needs a reminder of why they like to read. 


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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This was my first Lisa Jewell novel, and it definitely won't be my last. I absolutely devoured this book! The storyline was easy to follow, character development on point, and the twists just kept coming. I only predicted one part, but only shortly before the reveal. I appreciate that by the end, all my questions had been answered. This is exactly what I look for in a mystery/thriller! I've had this on my TBR list for a few years now, and I'm SO happy that I chose to finally read it! 

I only give 5 stars to books that I know I want to read again someday. Unfortunately, with mystery/thriller books, the excitement factor won't be there the second time around, so I gave it a very solid 4.75!

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bookstwokathryn's profile picture

bookstwokathryn's review

3.0
emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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avaa_reads's profile picture

avaa_reads's review

4.0
dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

My mom had this book sitting in our house and suggested it to me a few times before I eventually caved; definitely worth it. I predicted a lot of the plot pretty early on in the book however I was 100% on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story.

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was an interesting story, and I didn't predict a part of the climax.  I definitely thought the storytelling was stronger in the The Family Upstairs series, but this one was fine. The whole
hamster
thing was weird though and kind of felt like a detail added later to increase ~weirdness~.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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maddie_0930's profile picture

maddie_0930's review

5.0
dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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: Complicated

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katerinamckenna's review

2.5
dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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