Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Then She Was Gone

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

158 reviews

hanuhmckee's review

4.0

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While I found this book a little slow to start, I think the plot was interesting and the cast of characters were very well written. I thought each character had depth and helped to contribute to a different aspect or theme throughout the book. While at times the story was difficult to read because of the subject matter, it was still done in a way that made me want to keep reading, even if I felt like I needed to put it down for a little.

Content Warnings

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional 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: Yes

Predictable and a bit drawn out but OK for a palette cleanser.

Content Warnings

chelseap7's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

lilbarb's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

minimicropup's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This one was so much darker than I expected. If you like flawed characters and emotionally vivid stories exploring fear, sadness, anger, and heartbreak, you might really like this.

Energy: Tension. Dread. Poignancy.

🐕 Howls: I had to skim some scenes because it was so anxiety-inducing (they’re so genuinely horrific my brain doesn’t need any help being paranoid about them!)

kidnapping/confinement + forced pregnancy + evil hiding in plain sight

🐩 Tail Wags: The writing style. The foreshadowing. Exploring how seemingly innocuous, harmless decisions can lead to tragedy. Characters that are deeply flawed and human. Slow but absorbing pace.

Scene: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 London, England

Perspectives (4): We mainly follow the parent of a teen who went missing a decade ago, and the teenager leading up to their disappearance. We also get additional perspectives of a math tutor and the parent’s love interest, who is raising a kid with a striking resemblance to their missing daughter.

Timeline: Then & Now (2005 & 2015)

Narrative: Invisible in the room, overhearing thoughts, being told a story. Reader mostly in-the-know compared to characters (first person or third person objective depending on the character).

Fuel: Finding love after giving up, coping with grief, the circumstances leading to the mystery of the missing daughter. What happened to Ellie? How did the family handle it? W Is her mother seeing what she wants to see in her new relationship? Can she trust her new boyfriend?

Cred: Realistic to plausible

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Old cooking and unwashed hair. Navy blue rucksack. Maths. John Lewis childswear.

Punchy, reflective, vivid writing style
Eccentric, flawed, sympathetic, complicated, and unhinged characters
Slow burn missing person suspense
Emotionally vivid psychological drama
Surreal ripped-from-the-headlines feel
Can-she-trust-him later in life meetcute
Simmering resentments and unhinged ‘pick me’
Obsession, stalking, jealousy, loneliness
High emotional stakes interpersonal drama
Monsters hiding in plain sight
Wrong place, wrong time
Themes of cruelty, depravity, grief, desperation, forgiveness, healing, adversity, parenthood, and choice

Content Heads-Up: Animal death (mention; hamsters). Burglary (home). Child neglect. Custodial dispute. Drugging. Emotional and cognitive issues (childhood). Kidnapping, confinement (room). Loss of child (illness; disappearance). Loss of sibling (as child). Miscarriage (memory). Murder. Parental abandonment. Pregnancy (forced; complications). Psychopathic behaviour. Stalking. Stroke (elderly parent). Suicidal planning, suicide. Torture. Toxic relationship.

Rep: British. Irish British. American British. Cis. Hetero. Freckled, pale, tawny skin tones.

📚 Format: Kindle

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

Content Warnings

cjones12's review

4.0

fast-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

that1girlnstuff's review

2.75

dark mysterious sad tense

I figured out the main plot point fairly early and as more and more pieces fell into place I had to decide if I wanted to keep going due to some sever discomfort with how the story plays out. I talked with a friend who read it and was able to determine I would finish it.

If you are searching for Tigger warnings like I was:

non-consensual pregnancy happens with a minor. Does not go into detail but is obvious on what has occurred. Chapter 40 is where it takes place

Content Warnings