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nyquillll's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
To be honest, I'm not quite sure how to give this a valid review? Or rating? It's fast-paced, so of course there's not a lot of room to develop the story. It was so fast that I honestly don't quite know if I liked it, liked it, or if it was just okay. I stuck with the 2.75 as I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone, but it wasn't horrible.
I did enjoy the twist - I'm so dumb that as I was reading Helga's POV, I wasn't putting 2 and 2 together, so when the sentence came, my jaw dropped. It's really admirable how you can embed such a twist in such a short story.
I didn't much like the main character, but I think that's the point. Also, the older woman and how she was described literally gave me chills in a bad way. I saw at the end that this was a take on a classic story? So I'm not sure how similar/different it was to that, but it definitely creeped me out, and I think that was the point! So in that vein, good job, Freida :)
I did enjoy the twist - I'm so dumb that as I was reading Helga's POV, I wasn't putting 2 and 2 together, so when the sentence came, my jaw dropped. It's really admirable how you can embed such a twist in such a short story.
I didn't much like the main character, but I think that's the point. Also, the older woman and how she was described literally gave me chills in a bad way. I saw at the end that this was a take on a classic story? So I'm not sure how similar/different it was to that, but it definitely creeped me out, and I think that was the point! So in that vein, good job, Freida :)
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood and Murder
whitneyfoster's review against another edition
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
coco78337's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Murder
violetvulptex's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Classism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Toxic relationship
toofondofbooks_'s review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted something creepy and weird but also short to read on Christmas Eve and this fit the bill nicely. It wasn't perfect, but it was quick and had the vibes i was looking for. It is also a "gift of the magi" reimagining which I thought was cool. Something weird about it though was that it kept referencing Ironic by Alanis Morissette and it felt clunky and shoehorned in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Blood, and Gaslighting
hannahs_library__'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
At just over an hour, this was a great audiobook for a short car ride at Christmas time. A new take on the classic Gift of the Magi tale with a Freida McFadden twist. 🎁
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
xwritingstoriesx's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity and Murder
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
When a waitress is looking for a Christmas gift for her husband, she makes a deal with an older woman at a strange kind of pawn shop.
A good creepy holiday thriller. I just have to say the guy deserved it. He was such a jerk!
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
Excellent narration!
A good creepy holiday thriller. I just have to say the guy deserved it. He was such a jerk!
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
Excellent narration!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Murder
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this! It was short and a perfect holiday thriller!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Murder and Cursing
beckyremillard's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Minor: Murder
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