Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Couple At No. 9 by Claire Douglas

3 reviews

julienicole1106's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book - it had an intriguing plotline. I liked how it was switching between perspectives and timelines hearing from the grandmother in the past and the granddaughter in the present. It was a really interesting story, the plot twists were great, some I figured out and some I didn’t, but, regardless it was still really enjoyable. 
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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

    The narrators were excellent However, I think this book is overhyped. It’s way too predictable.  And at least 50 pages too long. I liked all the POVs, somewhat but they gave too much away to me.  With all the hype I expected more.   When I finished this book my first thoughts were, well duh. The final “twist” wasn’t even that surprising, did I see it coming no, but it went with that character’s prior actions so it wasn’t that shocking. 

     I read a lot of mystery thrillers and this was a little below average. It disappointed me with its predictability. I did find the characters interesting at least which gave it some more interest than otherwise. 

   The writing felt more like the author was being paid by the word than it was necessary. And the pace was WAY too slow. It drew out the story too much. 

   I did like the unusual amount of representation in the book. You had both POCs and queer characters which aren’t usually included in mystery thrillers. 

   The character development was pretty good, especially for the present-time characters. Though less so in the past-time characters. 

   My favorite character is probably Saffy. She was certainly the most likable and quite relatable to me as well. Not from the bad mother perspective but from others. 

   Saffy’s parents definitely fit the Amicable Exes trope, though it makes sense due to their age when they had her. The ending is also a big Babies Ever After trope. Other tropes seen are Bonding over Missing Parents, Brother–Sister Team, Doting Grandparent, and more I’m sure! 

    I didn’t like that none of the characters other than Rose at the beginning had any non-romantic/familial relationships, aka no one had any friends! Which was very odd. It felt like it was lazy writing.

    I think those that don’t read many mystery thrillers might like this book. Or if you enjoy longer mystery thrillers. If you read a lot of them and have gotten good at spotting what might happen then don’t bother with this book. 
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