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heavahh's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ee_em_em_aye's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
melanieji's review
4.0
Wow! I did not think I'd end up liking this book as much as I did and honestly at first I found it a bit dull and could not get into the characters. However things pick up quickly and the mounting drama and tension is done very well I was hooked and could not seem to put it down!
I gave 4/5 stars however because I did find it very disturbing that the highly inappropriate relationship of teacher and student seemed to be glossed over because Hattie turned 18 before anything physically intimate occurred. I understand that to the character of Hattie she was infatuated with her teacher and was able to justify what she was doing because she was a naïve child but for the book to end with Peter feeling solace in knowing that Hattie loved him? Downright gag worthy.
Although there were times I did catch myself rooting for the pair before I remembered the nature of the relationship that goes to show how fantastic Mindy Mejia's writing is! Loved the twist of who the killer ended up being as well I genuinely did not see it coming and actually gasped at the reveal, done better than some other murder mystery type books I've read recently.
I gave 4/5 stars however because I did find it very disturbing that the highly inappropriate relationship of teacher and student seemed to be glossed over because Hattie turned 18 before anything physically intimate occurred. I understand that to the character of Hattie she was infatuated with her teacher and was able to justify what she was doing because she was a naïve child but for the book to end with Peter feeling solace in knowing that Hattie loved him? Downright gag worthy.
Although there were times I did catch myself rooting for the pair before I remembered the nature of the relationship that goes to show how fantastic Mindy Mejia's writing is! Loved the twist of who the killer ended up being as well I genuinely did not see it coming and actually gasped at the reveal, done better than some other murder mystery type books I've read recently.
ohsnaplez's review
3.0
the most tangible thing i got from this formulaic but still entertaining read was a craving for dairy queen.
amyhungerford's review
5.0
For some reason, I read a lot of thrillers. A lot. If there is a new thriller I will read it. I'm not really sure why. Most of the time, they're average at best.
But this book.
Its amazing! I loved every minute of it... And for once, the ending actually shocked me.... Which was a bit of a shock.
But this book.
Its amazing! I loved every minute of it... And for once, the ending actually shocked me.... Which was a bit of a shock.
alienclans's review
2.0
I originally tried to write this spoiler free but I just can't do it.
This isn't really a mystery because we learn early on who the main suspects are and everything after that is basically just the story of Peter and Hattie. The problem I had with this format was that I didn't find Hattie or Peter all that interesting. Hattie always just felt like a regular small town girl to me. I can't figure out if the author intended for her to come across this way or if she really was supposed to seem like some manipulative, future starlet who was too big for her small town. I got the impression that that was how Hattie saw herself but based on what was written in her sections, I did not get the impression that that was who she actually was. I don't know if that was the author's intention or not but that was the way I read it.
And now I have to talk about the ending. I didn't like it. I feel like Peter got off easy. It seemed like the book was trying to make his actions seem sympathetic and understandable to the reader but his marriage problems didn't make up for or justify his actions. He was still an adult taking advantage of a teenager even if Hattie was actively pursuing him. He was the one in the position of power and it was his responsibility not to act on anything regardless of how weak and cowardly he was described as being and Hattie's "blackmail." That's the bottom line in my book and it's not complicated for me. I don't need an author to butt in with a moral lesson based on the content of their book but the ending of the novel essentially blames Hattie for everything that happened and that really, really bothered me because it didn't feel like an opinionated comment from the character's point of view. It felt like a reflection on the entire novel. It felt like it was trying to convince that reader that, yeah, the outcome of the novel was all Hattie's fault and that the adult man in the relationship deserved less blame for the outcome.
That's not even my main issue with the novel. The real problem is that Peter is a horrible character but not in an interesting way. I've read plenty of stories featuring horrible people that I still enjoyed becase the characters were compelling. Peter was just a gross dude that I never cared about. He had zero redeeming traits and he wasn't a compelling narrator. He wasn't a decent guy that made a bad decision. He was a weak man that made a series of bad decisions and had no regard for the people around him. That's the makings of a bad man in my eyes. I don't need likable characters or perfectly neat endings to enjoy a book but I think a novel needs some sort of balance and this one didn't have it.
Notice I haven't mentioned Del. He was barely a character to me. He was basically just a means of filling us in on the case. I understand why the author needed to include his sections but they were so boring.
I apologize for this mess of a review. I had a lot of trouble articulating my exact thoughts and even after a few rewrites, I still don't think I explained myself clearly enough. I also feel bad that my review was so negative but what can you do?
This isn't really a mystery because we learn early on who the main suspects are and everything after that is basically just the story of Peter and Hattie. The problem I had with this format was that I didn't find Hattie or Peter all that interesting. Hattie always just felt like a regular small town girl to me. I can't figure out if the author intended for her to come across this way or if she really was supposed to seem like some manipulative, future starlet who was too big for her small town. I got the impression that that was how Hattie saw herself but based on what was written in her sections, I did not get the impression that that was who she actually was. I don't know if that was the author's intention or not but that was the way I read it.
And now I have to talk about the ending. I didn't like it. I feel like Peter got off easy. It seemed like the book was trying to make his actions seem sympathetic and understandable to the reader but his marriage problems didn't make up for or justify his actions. He was still an adult taking advantage of a teenager even if Hattie was actively pursuing him. He was the one in the position of power and it was his responsibility not to act on anything regardless of how weak and cowardly he was described as being and Hattie's "blackmail." That's the bottom line in my book and it's not complicated for me. I don't need an author to butt in with a moral lesson based on the content of their book but the ending of the novel essentially blames Hattie for everything that happened and that really, really bothered me because it didn't feel like an opinionated comment from the character's point of view. It felt like a reflection on the entire novel. It felt like it was trying to convince that reader that, yeah, the outcome of the novel was all Hattie's fault and that the adult man in the relationship deserved less blame for the outcome.
That's not even my main issue with the novel. The real problem is that Peter is a horrible character but not in an interesting way. I've read plenty of stories featuring horrible people that I still enjoyed becase the characters were compelling. Peter was just a gross dude that I never cared about. He had zero redeeming traits and he wasn't a compelling narrator. He wasn't a decent guy that made a bad decision. He was a weak man that made a series of bad decisions and had no regard for the people around him. That's the makings of a bad man in my eyes. I don't need likable characters or perfectly neat endings to enjoy a book but I think a novel needs some sort of balance and this one didn't have it.
Notice I haven't mentioned Del. He was barely a character to me. He was basically just a means of filling us in on the case. I understand why the author needed to include his sections but they were so boring.
I apologize for this mess of a review. I had a lot of trouble articulating my exact thoughts and even after a few rewrites, I still don't think I explained myself clearly enough. I also feel bad that my review was so negative but what can you do?
earthtokate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
OH MY GOD WOW
helgamharb's review against another edition
4.0
“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”
A well written and gripping crime/mystery, narrated alternately by Hattie, Del and Peter, while the story jumps back and forth in time.
The book was fast paced but rather predictable, at least for me and the characters weren't very likable. Hattie was a liar and a pretender and Peter was super pathetic, whining all the time about silly things.
Overall it was an enjoyable read.
A well written and gripping crime/mystery, narrated alternately by Hattie, Del and Peter, while the story jumps back and forth in time.
The book was fast paced but rather predictable, at least for me and the characters weren't very likable. Hattie was a liar and a pretender and Peter was super pathetic, whining all the time about silly things.
Overall it was an enjoyable read.