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lifeofchrstnlvly's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Blood, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual violence
Minor: Animal cruelty and Pregnancy
yvo_about_books's review
3.25
“The combination of thunder and seeing the helpless baby had dug up her memories. Memories she'd rather forget.”
I came across this series when I was browsing my kindle for titles to read to help complete my kindle freebies goal, and since I've been meaning to try Carla Kovach's writing for a while now I decided to give in. The Next Girl is the first book of a detective thriller series, and it starts on a heavy note with a kidnapping case as well as a focus on domestic abuse. It's not a bad read, but somehow there wasn't really anything that made this thriller stand out from other books in the genre either. I think this had a lot to do with the main character Gina, who I was unable to warm up to. She seemed too much like your stereotypical flawed detective with a troubled past, and the rest of the cast wasn't overly developed either. The many references to her past and psychological consequences in the present not only made her seem less competent as a detective, but also started to annoy me considerably. The fact that she was sleeping with her boss didn't really help either to be honest. The plot itself dragged in parts as well, and as a result it took me longer than expected to read The Next Girl . The case itself had a lot of potential and there were moments that were more suspenseful, but as a whole I felt that something was lacking. And while the final part was more engaging, it couldn't fully save this story for me. All in all it wasn't a bad read, but I don't think I will be continuing with this series... I still have too many other detective thriller series I want to start/continue instead.
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Stalking, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Rape
mandarose79's review
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, and Emotional abuse
alex1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Stalking, Rape, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Murder
randiwhaley's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Murder
wrappingpaper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At first I was sceptical about the writing style, but I really felt like the story was real. We meet a lot of characters and learn a lot about them and their lives. Overall I would’ve loved a bit more about (spoiler) Debbie’s life after being saved, however it’s possible that’ll be featured in the next book. I felt really connected to the story and really felt for the characters during their struggles.
Highly recommend if you’re into crime novels and looking for a fast paced engaging read.
Graphic: Confinement, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Cancer
_em_lauren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Gore, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Stalking, Vomit, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Blood, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts
olivemason's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
jesshart8's review
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Excrement, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Stalking
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
dogearedbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Confinement, Murder, Grief, Violence, Physical abuse, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Stalking, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Dementia, Torture, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, and Death