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savtruther's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship
mads_jpg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The positives:
- I liked the non-linear storytelling through the Netflix clips that start to reveal certain details.
- The story was interesting enough that I read it quite quickly despite the length.
The negatives (Spoilers!):
- The book seems to paint Josie as a man-hating feminist, which doesn't sit right when she then goes on to kill the only men in the story.
- The author said in the acknowledgements that she wrote this book in less than a year, and it shows, because given the inclusion of something as sensitive as pedophilia she did not portray it in a responsible way.
- I can't tell if the book is a commentary on or a victim of the idea of the 'perfect victim' who never does anything wrong.
- The way the author described Josie's grooming by Walter was awful in almost every case, either saying she "allowed herself to be groomed" or that she in fact wasn't groomed at all and actually seduced Walter herself. Which still wouldn't make it ok since the adult is ultimately responsible for shutting that kind of thing down.
- Every character is incredibly unlikable, and their actions make no sense. E.g Pat who is reviled as this full of life, go getting woman just let's her 16-year-old daughter take her 40-year-old boyfriend from her? And doesn't do anything to stop it?
- Why the hell is Alix still working on the podcast after Nathan goes missing AND after he's confirmed murdered?!?!?! I was reading this assuming the police/documentary filmmakers had gotten a copy of the podcast, not that she'd RELEASED THE DAMN THING.
- Alix mourns Josie's victims as people who were killed "for no good reason at all", and that was a big issue for me. I really did feel like I had no idea why she would go this far, and the last minute twist in the epilogue doesn't account for that.
- I'm all for an unreliable narrator story, but at no point did it feel like the reader had any chance at following what was really going on, and the ambiguous ending made that even more frustrating, but that's probably just a me thing and not a legitimate issue.
- It was also bloody annoying how many times the author said Josie could hear the sound of Erin's headphones through the door, there's literally no way that's possible without Erin sustaining serious ear damage, I'm sorry but no.
Overall this felt like a dangerously careless representation of some very serious issues given the amount of trigger warnings I had to add to this review.
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
lottiebrooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The ending is open to interpretation, but I liked it in this case.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Alcoholism
Minor: Child death
sea_tea_books's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
While I did like the author's slow-burn thriller style, the pedophile content was disturbing. I'll check trigger warnings before trying another Lisa Jewell book.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
Minor: Animal death
haleysversion's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
unboxedjack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Murder, Death, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Stalking, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Violence
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Violence, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death, and Mental illness
kelleywithanextrae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Physical abuse, Stalking, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Trafficking, Violence, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Child death, Stalking, and Alcoholism
Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Infidelity, and Incest
prairieraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Addiction, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Death, Stalking, Child death, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Classism, Incest, and Toxic friendship