Take a photo of a barcode or cover
here_only_for_books 's review for:
Appetite for Innocence
by Lucinda Berry
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🔹 My take: 2.5/5
***spoilers included***
⚠️ Sexual violence, teenage rape, murder, self harm
🔸 John stalks teenage girls over Internet by checking in their whereabouts before finally kidnapping them and locking them in his basement. He is a serial rapist interested in exploiting virgin girls. Story is about 2 girls Ella and Sarah who have been held captive for months & years but are able to finally set themselves free. What follows is their diametrically opposite accounts they share with FBI when asked what John did to them.
💖 Wows - Its a page turner. But except that hardly anything that I liked about this one so we will straightaway move to Ows section 😀.
💔 Ows -
🫤 I kept on waiting for John’s POV, his past, his justification/ logic but the book gives nothing; just nothing. I could not even gauge what age he is.
😡 The vocab and grammar is bad, real bad. Every other chapter has “I lay on the bed motionless”, “I step back to the bed and lay down.” You don’t lay on bed; you lie on bed. Lay is used for things; lie is the verb you use for living beings.
😔 Writing is plain and flat. Sentences read “She puts her hand on my back. I flinch. Struggle more.”, “He checks his watch. A thick plastic one.” Like seriously??
😏 None of the characters are likeable. Don’t get me started on Ella’s mom, Jocelyn. She needed more counselling than Ella.
😳 2 POVs with 2 different timelines is ok but every chapter titled as Sarah Then/Sarah Now and Ella Then/Ella Now was 🤯
🤬 This book does not have suspense, mystery or twists. There are only 2 twists & first one is revealed when you are 15% in.
I disliked many things which kept on pulling down the ratings.
💫 If you are a hardcore thriller fan & have read lots of thrillers already, this will not fit your bill & will leave you frustrated. If you have started this genre recently, look at TWs and this will be a good read. ⭐️⭐️✨
***spoilers included***
⚠️ Sexual violence, teenage rape, murder, self harm
🔸 John stalks teenage girls over Internet by checking in their whereabouts before finally kidnapping them and locking them in his basement. He is a serial rapist interested in exploiting virgin girls. Story is about 2 girls Ella and Sarah who have been held captive for months & years but are able to finally set themselves free. What follows is their diametrically opposite accounts they share with FBI when asked what John did to them.
💖 Wows - Its a page turner. But except that hardly anything that I liked about this one so we will straightaway move to Ows section 😀.
💔 Ows -
🫤 I kept on waiting for John’s POV, his past, his justification/ logic but the book gives nothing; just nothing. I could not even gauge what age he is.
😡 The vocab and grammar is bad, real bad. Every other chapter has “I lay on the bed motionless”, “I step back to the bed and lay down.” You don’t lay on bed; you lie on bed. Lay is used for things; lie is the verb you use for living beings.
😔 Writing is plain and flat. Sentences read “She puts her hand on my back. I flinch. Struggle more.”, “He checks his watch. A thick plastic one.” Like seriously??
😏 None of the characters are likeable. Don’t get me started on Ella’s mom, Jocelyn. She needed more counselling than Ella.
😳 2 POVs with 2 different timelines is ok but every chapter titled as Sarah Then/Sarah Now and Ella Then/Ella Now was 🤯
🤬 This book does not have suspense, mystery or twists. There are only 2 twists & first one is revealed when you are 15% in.
I disliked many things which kept on pulling down the ratings.
💫 If you are a hardcore thriller fan & have read lots of thrillers already, this will not fit your bill & will leave you frustrated. If you have started this genre recently, look at TWs and this will be a good read. ⭐️⭐️✨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail