Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

322 reviews

rgetch06's review

4.5

challenging dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Classism

ellieisreading's review

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment

tetrootz's review

3.75

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

twiller's review

3.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

akoyareads's review

2.5

dark emotional sad slow-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

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This book didn’t read like a thriller, there was no thrill or suspense, just sadness and desperation for answers. I think that the plot being predictable was intentional. that Everyone told their side of events connecting all the pieces like a lifetime movie.

This book was so devastating I almost cried at the end when I read Ellie’s letter, because she was never given a chance.I had so much hope that she would return to her family even after her remains were found.

But Laurel was a horrible mother and her apology to Hanna felt so so shallow because we knew it truly meant nothing. She still thought that it should’ve been her that was taken, she still thought that Hanna wasn’t as beautiful as Ellie. And even tho I pity Hanna for having such a horrid mother I think dating my missing little sister’s bf is a bit trashy. One great lesson that needs to be learned is that there aren’t just horrible men out there, but women too. Women that will do vile things for the validation of men, those are the women you stay away from because they will go to the earths end for a crumb of 

male validation. 

There was no silver lining to the book just poppy being passed around from one sad shell to the next, and then both trauma dumping on her. You don’t tell her the actual truth about her mother but u tell her that the man that’s been raising her for all those years took his life because of guilt? That didn’t make sense to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy

kmthorson2's review

3.75

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting

tyreadsbooks_'s review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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⟡Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell⟡

★★★★★ 5/5 stars!

⟡ synopsis

Ellie Mack was 15 years old when she disappeared & was declared a runaway. 10 years later, her mother, Laurel, still doesn’t believe it. When she meets a man in a cafe & starts spending time with him & his daughter, she can’t help noticing odd coincidences. She begins to question everything - What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? Who still has secrets to hide?

⟡ Read if you like :

-I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney 

-Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica 

-dark, unsettling psychological thrillers

-short chapters

-missing persons cases

-suspicious new boyfriends

-seriously twisted characters 

⟡ my thoughts

This is one I can’t believe I haven’t read yet - I went in completely blind, other than knowing I love Lisa Jewell. I was positively hooked from beginning to end. 

This book isn’t a whodunnit. We find out early on the “who”  - but it’s the journey of figuring out the why & how that makes it fascinating. It felt like I was in on a secret. Jewell does a great job of slowly giving you bits of information from each of the POVs - just enough to keep you connecting dots & turning pages. This story unfolded so bizarrely. There is a great blend of suspense, suspicion & grief. All of the characters are very well written & developed, I found myself equally drawn to each narrative.

The last line was so incredibly moving, a heartbreaking & bittersweet ending.

I’d call Then She Was Gone an absolute must read for psychological thriller fans!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Suicide, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder

dr_aebsouza's review

4.75

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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: Complicated

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure at first how much of a thriller it would be. But it turned out to be quite the roller coaster ride.

I enjoyed that the who-dunnit aspect didn't turn out the way I'd expected and (without spoiling it) flipped the stereotype on it's head. 

I love the then/now perspectives and the way the story is told from multiple points of view. 

Lisa Jewell is a terrific writer who comes up with chillingly good plots. This book is no exception. 

⭐4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking

koreydobbert's review against another edition

2.5

dark mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent

emmaklieve's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Rape