Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Sign Here by Claudia Lux

100 reviews

boop123's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

 Loved the synopsis, but the execution was average at best. 

On the positive side, the worldbuilding and rules behind how Hell works was impressive. I am glad the author took her time explaining to the readers how it works and it seemed like it was cohesive. I also loved the characters in Hell (Pey, Cal, etc.) because it was like they were morally ambiguous characters (given that they were in Hell for different reasons). The worldbuilding peaked my interest the most because there was this whole corporate hierarchal vibe going so I commend the author for dedicating her time to the worldbuilding. 

However, I wasn’t really a fan of the alternating points of view, particularly with the Harrisons (the alternation between Cal and Pey would’ve been fine). As I read along, it felt like I was reading separate stories, with the overlap between the Harrisons and Pey being miniscule. If the Harrisons storyline was removed and focused more on the lore and the backstory of Pey and Cal, it would’ve sufficed. But if you dig family mystery and teenage trauma, maybe you won’t mind the Harrisons plotline. 

Anyways, a fun read but some parts were a hit and miss for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Deadnaming, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder

charlesalexander's review

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

glitterghostreads's review

dark medium-paced

• 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

2.0

I think there was a lot of promise here that didn't come through. Plus some weird choices. Honestly, between the actions of Silas (that did Not need to happen) and the ending it brought it way down for me. This book felt like it was a mystery/drama that through in unneeded triggering content to make it edgy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia

mblanke's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Torture, Grief, and Murder

hkrobock's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

hanj12's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

3/5⭐️

The vibes were there! Think Hasbin Hotel/Helluva Boss with a family summer mystery added in. If you are a person who usually likes morally gray characters and multiple POVs, this book may be for you. Also, very short chapters are a plus!

Please check the content warnings before reading!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Death, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide

caro_shelves's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

I loved this book! The writing is impeccable, and Lux's gradual weaving of the story gradually draws you in. What appears to be a simple, tragic family drama is intricately connected to Peyote and Calamity's work in Hell. It's excellent. There were so many moments that had me gasping out loud. It's worth the read if you like a bit of mystery alongside your horror and humor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

spicycronereads's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

I listened to the audiobook, performed by Macleod Andrews and Brittany Pressley. It was a lot of fun.

This book is really hard to describe. It is part absurd workplace comedy (where the workplace is hell) and part thriller. 

There are two parallel narratives, one following Peyote Trip, the hell salesperson charged with closing deals. We see what happens to his work life when a new woman joins the organization. The other narrative centers on a family going to their summer house in New Hampshire. 

The first half of the book really centers on the absurdity of hell and building the tension around this family’s summer vacation. And then it takes a pretty dark turn and the thriller aspects ramp up. 

I won’t say much more for fear of spoiling it but there is character development and it happens in some surprising ways. Speaking of surprises, I guessed a few of the twists but at least one got me. 

There is pretty much no diverse representation. Everyone is white and the family on earth has multi-generational wealth. 

The audio performances are great. I loved Macleod Andrew’s’ take on Peyote’s voice and Brittany Pressley really brought bone head teenage boys to life while simultaneously capturing women in a variety of ages. 

Overall, I really enjoyed it. To the point that when I got home from work yesterday with only an hour left to go, I listened to the rest from the couch (I normally only listen while driving or doing housework). It also made me feel totally justified in my dislike of Jagermeister. 😂 IYKYK. It is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Infidelity and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Cult,

knock0nwood's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Murder, and Alcohol

samisreading's review

challenging dark funny tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism