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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Miscarriage
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Stalking
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty
dark
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
This was a very sad book. It is a fake mystery but it truly felt like this happened to someone real. I can’t even think how someone can be so evil and ruin so many people’s lives like that. :(
While I was reading this book, I kept waiting for a revelation that Ellie was still alive. I figured out by page 80 that she was Poppy’s mother but I had no idea how twisted everything was. Learning what led to it was terrible and heartbreaking. I felt like I was reading a true crime story because of how upsetting everything was. Since there are different pov’s, I kept saying “please notice” or “please mention this because it could change everything”. One part that hurt me was when Ellie kept pounding on the window and the walls but nobody heard her. It was so frustrating. I hated Donnelly so much for what she did to Ellie. She was mentally ill.
Yes, there was some predictability to this book but the plot was so well executed that it didn’t make reading it feel like a boring task. I enjoyed unveiling all the parts of this mystery.
I thought that Floyd would be much worse. I was expecting for an ultimate twist in his reveal, but it felt like I already knew what he did. I don’t think he should have died. What he did was terrible but Donnelly deserved that and more.
I was so sad to learn Ellie’s actually dead. I know early on we find out that her remains were found, but deep down I still had hope for her. :(
It was heartbreaking that Poppy lost her mom and Laurel lost her daughter. But I did like how Poppy is giving Laurel a second chance at being a mom after she lost Ellie. The ending is so bittersweet.
Overall, I give this a 3.5/5 rating.
While I was reading this book, I kept waiting for a revelation that Ellie was still alive. I figured out by page 80 that she was Poppy’s mother but I had no idea how twisted everything was. Learning what led to it was terrible and heartbreaking. I felt like I was reading a true crime story because of how upsetting everything was. Since there are different pov’s, I kept saying “please notice” or “please mention this because it could change everything”. One part that hurt me was when Ellie kept pounding on the window and the walls but nobody heard her. It was so frustrating. I hated Donnelly so much for what she did to Ellie. She was mentally ill.
Yes, there was some predictability to this book but the plot was so well executed that it didn’t make reading it feel like a boring task. I enjoyed unveiling all the parts of this mystery.
I thought that Floyd would be much worse. I was expecting for an ultimate twist in his reveal, but it felt like I already knew what he did. I don’t think he should have died. What he did was terrible but Donnelly deserved that and more.
I was so sad to learn Ellie’s actually dead. I know early on we find out that her remains were found, but deep down I still had hope for her. :(
It was heartbreaking that Poppy lost her mom and Laurel lost her daughter. But I did like how Poppy is giving Laurel a second chance at being a mom after she lost Ellie. The ending is so bittersweet.
Overall, I give this a 3.5/5 rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Stalking, Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide, Murder, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
definitely predictable but i still really enjoyed the read. i really enjoyed the format of this book and the different povs. i like that the main character was flawed but we were still rooting for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
So the beginning was really slow for me and I didn’t really start liking it until part 2. I don’t really know if I liked the changing pov’s mostly because I felt they gave too much of the mystery away and the changes were really sudden, and didn’t add a lot to the story for me. I also think I understand what the author was trying to do by giving a false sense of closure with the first mystery being solved but throughout the book it just felt extremely easy to figure everything out and I felt like the ending was kinda mid. One thing that I did enjoy was the depth of the MC and the emotions that she conveys through the book especially with her children and her husband. Overall I would give this a 4/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a 2.5 star read for me personally. I had so many qualms with this book:
• It was easy to figure out the mystery behind Ellie’s disappearance. I even have a sticky note that I put in the book just to go back to it and prove myself right. Though I must say, the finer details did have me feeling very uncomfortable and kinda sick to my stomach. That’s superb writing right there, because some people in this world are actually that sick and twisted.
• Why was American English being used in a book set in the United Kingdom?? That was such a pet peeve for me as someone who uses British English. If they’re in England, it should be ‘humour’ not ‘humor’.
• Most of the characters were extremely annoying to me. Laurel constantly shat on Hanna and kept comparing her to what Ellie was, Poppy didn’t feel like an accurate description of a 9 year old to me. Her language and behaviour felt quite mature. Painting Floyd as this story of ‘doing it to protect my daughter’ guy then with the suicide thing was so not cool. He doesn’t get to be felt sorry for. What he did was creepy and wrong. Then Hanna getting with and marrying her dead sister’s ex was really just kinda gross to me
• I hate ending. I really do
it doesn’t make sense that the letter was written by Ellie if she wasn’t allowed to leave the cellar at any point. How would she have been able to do that? That’s a huge hole in the plot line
I just overall was not a fan of this. Disappointed
• It was easy to figure out the mystery behind Ellie’s disappearance. I even have a sticky note that I put in the book just to go back to it and prove myself right. Though I must say, the finer details did have me feeling very uncomfortable and kinda sick to my stomach. That’s superb writing right there, because some people in this world are actually that sick and twisted.
• Why was American English being used in a book set in the United Kingdom?? That was such a pet peeve for me as someone who uses British English. If they’re in England, it should be ‘humour’ not ‘humor’.
•
• I hate ending. I really do
I just overall was not a fan of this. Disappointed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
dark
sad
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:
No
good thriller, the writing was amazing, some of the twists were predictable but interesting nonetheless. reading from ellie's pov was so sad, i was so perturbed how she died. that's one of my nightmares so reading this at 3m was not a good a idea 👍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I’m obsessed with Lisa Jewells books. This is the third book written by her that I’ve read.
I give this book 4.75 Stars. It was an amazing story. Somewhat bizarre but brilliant. The characters are beautifully described and the book is so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is that some parts of the plot where predictable, but I didn’t mind because there where still a lot of unpredictable twists and I didn’t expect the ending at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Suicide, Terminal illness, Murder, Pregnancy