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dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A nice quick read which kept me hooked, marked it only a 4 out of 5 as it didn’t have a classic Lisa Jewell twist at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"I want you to tell them all that I’m sorry and that I love them more than anything in the world and that none of them must feel bad about what happened to me because I am brave and I am brilliant and I am strong. Yours sincerely, Ellie Mack"
Absolutely devastating, fucked up, heartbreaking read. I absolutely cannot fathom that Jewell sat down and created this plot and put out this book with ease. Just when you thought it couldn't get more screwed up, it did. The worst part is, there are so many books & movies (ex. Room) that have this same plot, which means that this is something that people have experienced before. This, something that should stay fiction and never be experienced in real life, has happened to real people. It makes me sick to my stomach.
The only reason this book lost a star was because Laurel was almost TOO irritating of a character. Maybe it's because I'm not a writer, but I felt she didn't need to be this insufferable. But at the same time, if she wasn't, the book probably would've ended 10 chapters earlier.
Absolutely devastating, fucked up, heartbreaking read. I absolutely cannot fathom that Jewell sat down and created this plot and put out this book with ease. Just when you thought it couldn't get more screwed up, it did. The worst part is, there are so many books & movies (ex. Room) that have this same plot, which means that this is something that people have experienced before. This, something that should stay fiction and never be experienced in real life, has happened to real people. It makes me sick to my stomach.
The only reason this book lost a star was because Laurel was almost TOO irritating of a character. Maybe it's because I'm not a writer, but I felt she didn't need to be this insufferable. But at the same time, if she wasn't, the book probably would've ended 10 chapters earlier.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Suicide, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
I
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love a good mystery, and this was a good one. There were good twists and turns. I kept thinking I was picking up on what really happened, and in some ways, I did, but in other ways, I was still surprised.
I really felt for Laurel, Paul, and their family. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have a child go missing, for them to just be gone for ten years without any sense of closure. I liked seeing Laurel dealing with her grief in what felt like a natural way. It wasn't pretty or pleasant or healthy in a lot of ways, but grieving rarely is.
I thought Jewell did a good job of building a general sense of unease around Floyd and Poppy. It just didn't feel right, and I enjoyed discovering why.
I really felt for Laurel, Paul, and their family. I can only imagine what it would feel like to have a child go missing, for them to just be gone for ten years without any sense of closure. I liked seeing Laurel dealing with her grief in what felt like a natural way. It wasn't pretty or pleasant or healthy in a lot of ways, but grieving rarely is.
I thought Jewell did a good job of building a general sense of unease around Floyd and Poppy. It just didn't feel right, and I enjoyed discovering why.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Stalking
Minor: Sexual assault
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
if i could give this book 10 stars, i would. I'll be really surprised if any book tops this one as my favorite read of 2025, it's that phenomenal! it was harrowing, heartbreaking, beautiful, and addicting. it slowly shattered me in the best way possible. it was so hard to put this book down, and i can not recommend it enough!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder
So this book is beautifully written. The character of Ellie is delightful and the rest of Ellie's family is alright but flawed. I found it really really really difficult though.
So Ellie is missing child. As it turns out she was kidnapped by her (female if it matters) maths tutor and kept in a basement. I didn't get a lot further than that but I think Ellie must have a child and then Ellie's mum, Laurel ends up in a relationship with the father of the child. I do feel bad for not persevering because obviously people suffer end are victims of crime so me feeling uncomfortable isn't that big a deal but the description of Ellie being locked up in the basement was too much for me. I know it's not real but the idea that the poor child ending up having the baby, then I'm sure she was living in the basement while the baby was in the house. Ellie also returns to her home address at one point? And turns up dead in a woodland. It's incredibly dark and heartbreaking.
As I say the book is beautifully written, the characters are really deep and multi layered - like the characters are awesome - but it's far too dark for me.
As I say the book is beautifully written, the characters are really deep and multi layered - like the characters are awesome - but it's far too dark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Kidnapping
mysterious
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:
Yes
The twist was kinda predictable and the end was somewhat a let down (not the happy ending - was glad about that) but overall seemed very anticlimactic and out of character. Also was a bit too dark and uncomfortable for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Kidnapping
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, Pregnancy