alindeman'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? No
5.0
CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS!
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Alcohol, Murder, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide
k1mar1e11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism
laurenc325's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape
jenlyon630'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Minor: Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual assault, Vomit, Kidnapping, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Drug use
caitsullivan'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, and Murder
Sometimes I find that thrillers have a very simple way of writing that almost makes me feel dumb after reading. This book did not fit that category, and did not disappoint! The mix of historical fiction with mystery/thriller really had my attention on this storyline, and I could not put it down! Definitely some trigger warnings (TW) worth noting, but they did not make me want to stop reading this one. Highly recommend to thriller lovers.chrstnlvly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Set in 1977, the story was supposed to be about a normal summer until girls started to go missing. As a fan of mystery thrillers, I was drawn to this book, but ultimately didn't enjoy it.
The villains were easy to guess and the writing became both repetitive and convoluted. The author relied too heavily on reminding readers that men are untrustworthy and that one should always be on guard. Additionally, the backstory was often provided in a way that interrupted the present scene, leaving the reader feeling lost.
The writing tried too hard to capture a Western vibe, which was distracting and made it seem like the author was trying too hard. However, the tone was well done and set the atmosphere effectively.
Overall, I gave The Quarry Girls 1.5 stars (0.5 for the interesting premise and 1.0 for the successful tone). I would only recommend it to readers who are fans of mystery thrillers and have run out of other books to read.
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia, Infidelity, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
ghoulpilotfinn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Very heavy subjects in this book. TWs for (a lot of) SA, r*pe (offscreen), p*dophilia, kidnapping, violence towards women and children, police.
That being said, this book is a page-turner. I probably would've finished it in a day if life permitted. The characters are so well written, every one of them having so much depth to them. The atmosphere building is impeccable. The suspense made it hard to set the book down. Despite the heavy subjects, scenes and TWs, Lourey somehow manages to never take those scenes too far.
My few issues with the book:
1. The descriptions however of some of the girls went too far at times imo. Even through Heather's POV, the descriptions of the other girls, especially of her 12yo sister Junie, seemed overly sexualized and made me uncomfortable.
2. The vibe change between the resolution and conclusion of the book was so drastic, it almost felt rushed. (ending spoilers)
Spoiler
Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful and thankfully good ending, but going from an entire book of "you can't trust anyone, not the cops, not even your own family" to "let's trust the non-local cop" then "we're now certain everything is good and we're safe" felt almost ironic. The resolution went so fast, like Constance and Gloria making up after years of not talking then moving in together all within a few paragraphs. It felt very "Hollywood movie that needs to have a perfect happy ending or else it won't get approved" (if that makes sense). I don't know, it was at both a relief to see these girls feel safe for the first time yet disappointing because it felt unrealistic considering the rest of the story.Conclusion: good book, don't trust cis men, know your self-defense, and fucking raise your sons right.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Rape, Medical content, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
aligibbs24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Police brutality, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Infidelity, Violence, and Kidnapping
purplenoodlepie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Moderate: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Police brutality, Mental illness, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Child abuse, and Drug abuse
lauren_alexis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual violence