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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
3.5, rounded to 3 for Goodreads. I was so excited to read this one as I read None of This Is True by the same author last year and was captivated. I think this one felt a lot slower with the buildup to the twists that the book had. I definitely did not call what happened but there was a lot of filler added in that mad it slower to get through. I do appreciate the redemption arc of Laurel and Hanna's relationship in the story. I also appreciate the multiple POV's within the book too. Laurel did seem a bit naive at times. It wasn't enough to be frustrated but you could feel that while reading the story. I also felt the epilogue at the end was odd and vague. It felt like an afterthought to the ending we had already read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
SUPER slow at the beginning. I almost stopped reading. It finally got interesting at a little past 100 pages.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.9/5 stars! I really wanted to like this book but I’m honestly a bit disappointed! The plot was okay, very predictable and no real plot twist. I wasn’t a fan of her writing style - too many run on sentences. I also found it confusing that she jumped from first person POV to third person POV and didn’t specify at the beginning of the chapter which chapters were from whose perspective.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone is a psychological thriller that follows the disappearance of a teenage girl and the unraveling of dark secrets in its aftermath. While the premise promises an intriguing mystery, I found the novel difficult to get into and struggled to finish it.
One of the biggest drawbacks was its predictability. From early on, the plot twists felt obvious, making the story lose its suspense. Rather than shocking revelations, the book unfolds in a way that feels formulaic and expected. This took away the tension and excitement that a thriller should have.
Additionally, the pacing was slow, making it hard to stay engaged. The first half dragged, and even when the plot picked up, it didn’t feel rewarding because the resolution was foreseeable. The characters, while well-developed, weren’t compelling enough to make up for the lack of suspense.
Overall, Then She Was Gone didn’t live up to its potential. While Lisa Jewell is a talented writer, this particular novel fell flat due to its slow pacing and predictable storyline. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with shocking twists, this might not be the best choice.
Rating: (2.7/5)
One of the biggest drawbacks was its predictability. From early on, the plot twists felt obvious, making the story lose its suspense. Rather than shocking revelations, the book unfolds in a way that feels formulaic and expected. This took away the tension and excitement that a thriller should have.
Additionally, the pacing was slow, making it hard to stay engaged. The first half dragged, and even when the plot picked up, it didn’t feel rewarding because the resolution was foreseeable. The characters, while well-developed, weren’t compelling enough to make up for the lack of suspense.
Overall, Then She Was Gone didn’t live up to its potential. While Lisa Jewell is a talented writer, this particular novel fell flat due to its slow pacing and predictable storyline. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with shocking twists, this might not be the best choice.
Rating: (2.7/5)
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No