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4.07 AVERAGE


The movie is very accurate! Book wise, I didn't care much about the writing style.
And the ending is just as frustrating as in the movie!
dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book has very specific, standard small-town, cop vibes; the synopsis is exactly what you get.

Overall, the plot isn't what drives the book – it's the characters and their tragedies. It's harrowing to read because there is no happy ending and the tragedies that happen to the characters are just random acts of violence. There's no satisfying moment of catching the people responsible and it's very reflective of reality.
dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

wow wow wow
dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

My husband read Mystic River when it was first published in 2001, and recently asked if I would watch the film with him. Like any good reader, I refused to do so until I read the book first.

Mystic River begins in the past. Jimmy, Sean, and Dave are three boys growing up in the outskirts of Boston. On one fateful afternoon, as they are playing together, one of them is abducted. He escapes and returns four days later.

Shifting to the present day, the three boys are now men who have grown apart but remain tied together. A new tragedy brings them back into one another’s orbit and the three are forced to face the unresolved issues from their past.

It wasn't the type of novel I'd typically pick up, but I loved this book. The story moved quickly and the writing was fantastic, especially the world-building and character development. The ending was dark and sad, but so good. I love every choice that author Dennis Lehane made as a storyteller.

But on the whole, it is a rather depressing tale. I decided that I’d rather not watch the movie after all.

Interesting story, about shame, love, and perhaps karma. I'll admit, it was a bit of a struggle for me. Thinking about Shutter Island is what kept me pushing through. With that in mind, my rating might be biased.
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Wow just wow! The character work in this book is top tier! One of the best mysteries I’ve ever read and maybe one of the best books I have read. This story is dark but very impactful. As I continued to read this book I started to like the book more and more despite its slow start.
I think this is a story that will stick with me for a long time.

This book was more like a 3.5 for me. I enjoyed reading it and thought that the twists in the plot were pretty good. Lehane reminds me a lot of James Patterson, except his writing is a million times better.