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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Death of parent
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was my first Lisa Jewell book, and I was not impressed. I figured it out like 6 chapters in and that still did not prepare me for the ending.
How on Earth can the just go on like a happy normal family. Floyd just kills himself with no consequences like he doesn't have another child to take care of. They "adopt" Poppy and she just fine with finding out her life was a lie? Laurel was not the best mom in the first place, but I guess we are just supposed to slide past that and forgive her like the rest of the family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Pregnancy
Moderate: Torture
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Pregnancy
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy
dark
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Suicide, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
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
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicide, Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
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
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy
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
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking
Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts