Reviews

One star for poor writing but upgraded to two stars ONLY for Spider Dan. I’m a therapist and had MAJOR issues with the mental health representation and inpatient treatment in this book.

ssshamblin's review

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

brittlke's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No

Hands down the worst book I have ever read in my life. I love to hate a character but this protagonist is insufferable. She is a medical student that should immediately be thrown out of med school. I’m so disappointed that, Frieda the author, is a doctor because the way that not only the patients but how mental health in general is treated in this book is abhorrent. Besides all of that it is just not a good read. Incredibly predictable thriller in a deeply boring way.

Content Warnings

frozenheartv's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

4 stars
🌕🌕🌕🌕

🧠 My thoughts

Wow, there were quite many twists in this book. I wouldn’t say the twists were impossible to guess because I could somehow see the ending coming. However, I couldn’t be sure, I kept guessing and was bewitched under Freida’s spell the whole time. After the disappointment with “The Inmate”, this book got me back on track to explore more books from this author.

On the other hand, the ending lacked a punch for me. It was quite predictable and typical of how everything was wrapped up

👍 What I like

Many good twists and turns
Easy to read

👎 What I don't like

The ending is pretty typical and predictable

daydaybookbay's review against another edition

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dark inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

I rated this book a 9 out of 10. I loved this book. It'sfast-pacedd and keeps you on edge waiting for the next shoe to drop. Although I figured out the twist in the first half, the ride there was so much fun. Will definitely read it again!

Reasons I couldn't give a 10 out of 10 rating is mostly how I predicted the ending. There's only so many twists you can create in a locked psychiatric unit. Also, I feel the mental illnesses are very generalized. There's a lot of diversity in reality, but the depictions here were very Hollywood-esque.

This is my first book by Freida McFadden, but it definitely won't be my last. I have heard many good things about her other novels, so I am super excited to read them in the future as well.

I love how easy it is to throw off the reader. All the characters are in a psych ward, and the main character questions her own sanity from the get-go. Every single person's credibility is demolished since Chapter 1. With no reliable character, there is a wide open playing field for the story to travel. Because of this, the storyline has no clear path, and it's easier to mislead the reader. I love it!

Jade took me by surprise multiple times. Her character was all over the place (obviously).

I do like that there was no redemption arc for her, though. Sometimes, having a bad guy just stay a bad guy is so freaking satisfying.

Content Warnings

aaadrianardgz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Thriller!!! Kept me on the edge of my seat. Solid plot twist 🤌🏼

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