Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

68 reviews

allison_elaine's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

sarahmaemae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Car accident

bek_p87's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This was such a tense, enthralling, twisty thriller. It was a bit slow to get going, but once it did... DAMN. I didn't pick all of the twists, and I didn't know how it would end. Definitely recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

terrik_409's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

So taut and engaging, I couldn't stop reading. Love the way Gudenkauf seemingly has these discordant storylines that come together 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, and Kidnapping

icieri's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? No

4.5

This story is split into three timelines: The summer of 2000 when a violent crime was committed at the farmhouse, an unknown time in which a mother and young girl are held captive, and present day in which our protagonist, Wylie, a true crime writer who is staying at the farmhouse to finish writing her book is being snowed in and finds a little boy freezing to death outside.

At times, this story feels like three books in one as each storyline slowly unfolds and we try to make predictions and decipher how they're connected. The characters are interesting and it's fun trying to predict their motivations.

The setting adds a lot of atmosphere to the story, especially in the present day/winter scenes. The cold, dark, white out conditions add so much claustrophobia. There were a few scenes in which I was genuinely terrified for our main characters.

My favorite thing about this book was seeing how the different characters reacted to the situations they found themselves in. It felt believable.
One of my least favourite things was the end reveal - the reveal itself was fine, but I think it would have been more impactful if the motivations of the antagonist were a little more defined.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slow burn crime/thrillers and dark "whodunnits". 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Pedophilia, Vomit, Abortion, and Fire/Fire injury

chooper454's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer

clg7585's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

phantasmaboo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

The Overnight Guest follows the story Wylie Lark, who goes to a remote cabin to finish writing her book and escape some family troubles. When a snowstorm hits, she finds a small child and a woman outside. She takes them in, unaware of their dark past or that someone is hunting them. 

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.

The author provides details of rape, miscarriages, pedophilia, and abuse that may be shocking.

It was very difficult to read about such events, and the fact that they featured so prominently really set me back a bit.

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

haleybre's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit