Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

84 reviews

aep215's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Child death

toffishay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

Overall, a good conclusion to the story. I wish that the setting had been taken advantage of a little more and the resolution kind of came and went

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

jenny6's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, and Murder

emily_mh's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

This was terrible. I invested three books worth of time and money for THIS???????

Already, the culprit of the original mystery being Marsh was disappointing, not because I had predicted this from book one, but because money isn't an interesting motive!! It sucks!! And then Johnson goes and makes it the motive for the MODERN murders too???? And the murderer is a bare sketch of a character at that??? And also, it turns out Alice died of measles???? Did someone say massive cop out??? And then Stevie doesn't want to present the evidence about Alice's real parents, because that way the money stays with the school. With a PRIVATE. SCHOOL. Set up by a BILLIONAIRE. And people go on thinking Alice is missing instead of paying her respects and letting her rest. Other annoying things include: nothing actually happening in this book and a lack of tension despite the really interesting premise of being snowed in on a mountain in the middle of nowhere; David suddenly being okay with Stevie; Frankie and Eddie serving no purpose or character arc beyond hoarding evidence for future Stevie to find; and finally, the random moose motif that doesn't mean anything. The only thing saving this book from a one star is that it was borderline entertaining and creepy.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Death, Child death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Violence, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Medical content, Ableism, Kidnapping, Animal death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Gun violence, War, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Vomit, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Racism, Suicide, and Stalking

Child birth, explosions, adoption, loss of a loved one (friend, aunt), illness

lorelaigilm0re's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

brilliant conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. my only criticism is that i found the reveal of the present day mystery SLIGHTLY underwhelming. but anyways the dual timeline did NOT disappoint and the characters and dialogues were as witty as ever

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, and Death

sankta_aleena's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

bookishgoob's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

this was definitely the BEST of the trilogy but as a whole the trilogy as a whole i think is 5 stars but this one is my favorite for sure. I love the relationship between all the characters and i think that Nate is autistic coded because he felt very on the spectrum to me (as someone on the spectrum) this book was so suspenseful and the dual timelines was really fun. such a good ending to the trilogy. i can’t wait to start the box in the woods and continue on in this universe with these characters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

cherry__tomatoes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

I really like this book, it completed the series almost flawlessly in my mind. I felt like all the conclusions to all the storylines were perfect. I love how the author can do seamlessly write about murder and romance the entire book. My one problem through this whole book was the romance I really expected Stevie to get together with at least one of her love interests.

We went through the whole book, the whole snow storm with such a slow burn between Stevie and her love interested, Nate, Hunter, and David (at least in my mind she was in love with these men) so I was sort of let down when she didn’t end up with anyone in the end of the book

. Other than the romance letting me down a little, the details in the murder and the provided evidence make this a really good finishing book for the series. Can’t wait to read the standalone.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death

spacexgay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Murder

book_aesthetic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Child death, and Body horror

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, and Mental illness