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astoriareader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
SYNOPSIS
- Maud is elderly & has dementia, which continues to worsen over time. She forgets where she is going, where she is, whether she has eaten, and more. Her daughter, Helen, takes care of her.
- Maud writes herself notes as reminders. She constantly tries to focus on whether her best friend, Elizabeth, is missing.
- At times, Maud recalls her childhood, where her sister, Sukey, also disappeared in 1946.
MY THOUGHTS
- So beautifully written. Very unique premise.
- Loved how these stories flow together. Maud seamlessly brought back to memories of her sister’s disappearance, and the two time lines alternate in the story.
- Excellent character development.
- I couldn’t put it down. I was really invested in tying up all the loose ends.
- Impressive execution, masterful story telling.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️very unique premise. loved the execution and character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Death
harper11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Murder
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I committed the cardinal sin of watching the film before reading the book with Elizabeth is Missing. Both are beautiful, but I'm sure knowing how things ended up skewed my perspective on a lot of the story. It didn't diminish how clever the writing is, or how sensitively Maud is portrayed in the book.
The flashbacks are so vividly described, as Maud's present becomes increasingly blurry. You can see her timelines begin to merge as her disease progresses, and it's heartbreaking to feel so helpless for her. This has strong Three Things About Elsie vibes, but it feels like there less humour to be found here.
The characters and the mysteries posed throughout are utterly engaging but this really wrenches at the heart strings. There is love, and even hope, scattered throughout, but ultimately you know poor Maud is trapped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Grief
Moderate: Murder
reeharp's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Murder
chandlery's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Car accident
ruby_mae_read's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Dementia
evilwizard's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Dementia, Murder, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
abbyfr's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This story is written from the perspective of a woman struggling with dementia. You watch her mind and her sanity fall apart while unravelling a decades old mystery. Absolutely incredible story telling and nearly impossible to put down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Dementia
Minor: Domestic abuse
kimberlyallen011's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: War
chucksbooks_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Grief, Murder, and Medical content