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A review by ashyyy
The Things We Don't See by Savannah Brown
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.25
It started out as a protagonist solving a mystery, but quickly turned into grieving loss and self identity. I found reading Mona's perspective to be comfortable, even though she was not likeable for 80% of the book. I found Peyton and Liam to be surface level characters, kind of wish more had happened with Peyton.
At first, I thought the climax would make me frustrated,what with it not actually being the reveal of the mystery, but Mona's self realisation instead. However, I think that's kind of the point, that she went looking to solve Roxy's problem, but found more about herself instead. I also like that Roxy wasn't a humble person, that she had become bitter as years passed.
At first, I thought the climax would make me frustrated,
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence and Rape
Mona's relationship with her sister is not what you'd expect. There's abuse, bullying and physical and mental trauma because of her. There is probably only one-two chapters that explicitly state things that Celeste did to Mona, but brief mentions are throughout. Furthermore, Celeste haunts Mona during the quiet hours of the night, bringing back memories of what happened or could have happened. If you've ever been in an abusive relationship or scenario, this might be triggering.