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phantasmaboo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have some mixed feelings about this book. The characters are well-developed and the plot maintains a good pace. I did think that a lot of the time jumping between chapters was unnecessary after a certain point, because it was fairly easy to see where the plot was going before it actually got there. After that point, it felt like the author was simply trying to elongate the plot and throw in some red herrings, and it got a bit tiresome. I would have preferred to have spent more time with the people in the present than in the past, building their characters through who they are now.
I also think the plot lost a lot of steam toward the end. The final chapters reminded me of a college student who has to hit a word count and just keeps on writing. The inhuman strength of one character in particular is really hard to believe. I would have preferred tension be built through the addition of stronger and more profound plot lines than start and stop action sequences.
Finally, this book relies highly on female/femme/uterus havers traumas to drive the plot forward. There is also implications of pedophilia.
That being said, this book was not “bad”. It definitely was thrilling, although somewhat predictable. I recommend it, but suggest checking the trigger warnings before you start.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
christyjoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
1. They escape the basement and run right back in.
2. He bolts the door, but wait 'there's a window'....hello? a window the whole time they could escape from?
3. She gets a gun and won't shoot her captor but shoots around him like a dumb-ass.
4. Drama but finally her own kid shoots her father in the head because 'he just won't die'
I hope these books get better for this year, because this one was underwhelming.
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
babyjay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It should be. The characters are complex and realistic even in extraordinary situations. However, the snippets told from law enforcement perspective are just a little too hero worship-y for me. The stereotypical badass female from headquarters with an eagle eye and a soft touch for witnesses, the rogue cop with his own rules who will stop at nothing to chase a lead, the good hearted sherif that just really *knows* these people.
Not only is it boring but dangerous! Telling stories where cops who terrorize to get information are doing the “wrong thing for the right reasons” glamorizes the abusive system that kills and brutalizes just because they can. The author also leans heavily on the self destructive alcoholic war veteran who creeps everyone out. The man has severe PTSD that goes untreated along with a difficult and painful life. Writing him into a story in such an unforgiving way and continuing to abuse his character throughout the book is gross. Vets have enough trouble as it is, no need to perpetuate the stereotypes of them being violent, dangerous, and unstable.
The chapters in this book that include the aforementioned BS are short and infrequent, get swollowed up by the actual action of the story, and generally have very little to do with the plot. If you can ignore the filler it’s worth a read.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
annelihghh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
nataliereadz's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Torture, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Death of parent
whatathymeitwas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm my opinion, this is very will written. I don't run into that many books that make me feel like I'm a string being slowly wound up at an ever-increasing speed and intensity, but this one did. I literally felt my heart rate go up during certain scenes. For an author to actually physically affect me, I'm impressed.
I won't get into the plot or anything that might be a spoiler, but this story was just aces. I had no idea who the fingers were going to eventually end up pointed at, and most of my guesses ended up being wrong. It took me til the last quarter to even figure out all the other perspectives and how they tied together. Provided, I'm not always exceptionally good at figuring out the mystery, but this one especially had me mind boggled.
This would be a great pick for anyone who enjoys extremely suspenseful suspense novels, and it would probably work exceptionally well as a winter read— in the dark, when it's snowing and chilled outside.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting