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rsohail's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
leahkarge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- diverse cast of characters, connected together by living in the same neighborhood
- New Zealand setting
- short chapters
- questioning everything and everyone
- the twists at the end
- Pari
Things I didn't like:
- all the characters except for Pari
- takes a while to remember who is who, because there are so many characters (even by the end, a name would be mentioned and I would think, "Wait who was that again?")
- the pacing felt off to me in places (there would be a tension-filled moment and then the next chapter would act like that moment hadn't just happened)
- the ending felt rushed; nothing was happening and then a lot happened in the span of a few pages and then it was done
Overall, a decent mystery that kept me guessing, but the unlikable characters and lack of any real character development kept me from rating this higher.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Medical content, and Murder
cursedepub's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
One thing that definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the novel is how egregious the sexually objectifying male gaze was in the narration. I think genuinely every woman above the age of 18 in the novel was described in terms of her sexuality and/or physical attributes, to a degree I found gross and uncomfortable.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use
katiemack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The toughest aspect to get used to was the pacing--the way Singh reveals information to the reader was tough for me to handle. Aspects and detailed were doled out piecemeal, and while I detest the word-vomit exposition style of some novelists, this was almost as bad. I felt like I didn't have a great grasp on Aarav's family, especially his mother, or even Aarav himself. The ending felt rushed as well, which was frustrating.
If you're a big fan of thrillers, though, I'd give this one a try. It also features diverse characters, which is a plus.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Car accident, and Death of parent