alireadss97's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book destroyed me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Suicide
bethboo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really thought that I wasn't going to like this book. The first 2 hours of it had me second guessing whether I wanted to even read it. Maybe I would have felt different if I had ever read Agatha Christie or even knew the story of And Then There Were None. Cause apparently the entire book is a nod to that. But it really pulled me in when we started to get to know the family member. The home movies were always my favorite. The narrator was phenomenal, sounding choked up and adding tears. She was great.
All the characters were horrible people and very cruel in a realistic way. They felt like real people, like I could turn around and google their names and see them in the flesh. That could partly be attributed to the narrator and her success in telling the story but that's one of the main reasons that I liked this book.
The ending. It was horribly unsatisfying and is really coloring my thoughts about the book even though I'm trying not to let it because I enjoyed the twist and turns and writing right up until the last hour or so.
Ghosts? The HUGE plot twist is...a ghost?? That's like so weird? Like this isn't a fantasy novel or something magical. She was just dead...like huh?? SO fucking disappointing.
It was a big shocker to learn how Daisy had died and it really fit in with the other characters. However, Trixie and Nana being the killers?? *eye roll* You think a tiny 15 yr old girl and an aged 80 yr old woman could move 3 dead bodies of grown adults? Like come on.
And the whole game of killing every hour on the hour and the poems, idk it just felt a little too sadistic and twisted for Trixie and Nana. Especially since their motivation was love. Like I could have believed a crime of passion by Nana, because of her anger at being the last one to know, but the game doesn't really feel realistic for them.
All the characters were horrible people and very cruel in a realistic way. They felt like real people, like I could turn around and google their names and see them in the flesh. That could partly be attributed to the narrator and her success in telling the story but that's one of the main reasons that I liked this book.
The ending. It was horribly unsatisfying and is really coloring my thoughts about the book even though I'm trying not to let it because I enjoyed the twist and turns and writing right up until the last hour or so.
Spoiler
Ghosts? The HUGE plot twist is...a ghost?? That's like so weird? Like this isn't a fantasy novel or something magical. She was just dead...like huh?? SO fucking disappointing.
It was a big shocker to learn how Daisy had died and it really fit in with the other characters. However, Trixie and Nana being the killers?? *eye roll* You think a tiny 15 yr old girl and an aged 80 yr old woman could move 3 dead bodies of grown adults? Like come on.
And the whole game of killing every hour on the hour and the poems, idk it just felt a little too sadistic and twisted for Trixie and Nana. Especially since their motivation was love. Like I could have believed a crime of passion by Nana, because of her anger at being the last one to know, but the game doesn't really feel realistic for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Grief
pinkpotayto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book used the back and forth past/present device that im not quite fond of but it was done really well in this scenario and slowly helped the mystery unfold and the questions answered themselves. Most of it you can see coming, or at least I could, but how you got there was the true mystery and it was one I was willing to be patient and wait for! I enjoyed this book! But like any murder mystery please check and be mindful of the tags!!!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical trauma
moemzwell's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It’s the eve of Halloween and Daisy’s Nana invited the whole family over to celebrate her 80th birthday. There are moments of awkwardness because you know, family drama and all that. Daisy has been sheltered and protected while growing up due to a congenital heart defect. As the celebration goes on weird events continue to happen demanding the family face their own demons. All of a sudden her family members are being found dead. Stuck on the island the family has no choice but to wait for the tide to go down and hope they aren’t next to die.
The concept of the novel is good but for being a murder mystery it’s very slow paced. I will say I didn’t catch on to the plot twist so I loved that aspect of the book. Alice Feeney does have better work so I’d recommend those first. Stephanie Racine was a good narrator and left me feeling spooked. If I wouldn’t have listened to this audiobook I don’t feel like I would have been able to finish it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder
Minor: Fatphobia, Child abuse, and Chronic illness
theinstaboomworm's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
FORMAT: 📖
THE GOOD: This book is wild! It's set around Halloween, which I wish I had known going into it, but I'm still glad I finally read it now. That is something to keep in mind if you haven't yet read this one though. I loved all the book references in this and I did guess one of the twists but not the other. This was creepy in a good way and I read it in 24 hours because I couldn't put it down, even though it was a slower burn. I loved that it was about a family and thought that was a nice twist on a mystery.
THE BAD: The only bad thing about this is that it is a slower burn story. It's more of a mystery than a thriller and so the story isn't as suspenseful as some of Feeney's other novels.
Favourite quote: "You are a disgrace to depression, and you don't deserve to call yourself that child's father."
THE GOOD: This book is wild! It's set around Halloween, which I wish I had known going into it, but I'm still glad I finally read it now. That is something to keep in mind if you haven't yet read this one though. I loved all the book references in this and I did guess one of the twists but not the other. This was creepy in a good way and I read it in 24 hours because I couldn't put it down, even though it was a slower burn. I loved that it was about a family and thought that was a nice twist on a mystery.
THE BAD: The only bad thing about this is that it is a slower burn story. It's more of a mystery than a thriller and so the story isn't as suspenseful as some of Feeney's other novels.
Favourite quote: "You are a disgrace to depression, and you don't deserve to call yourself that child's father."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Murder
deanchaudhri's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Violence
amplawrence's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Gun violence, Child death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault
bookedandbusy's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
This book was a wild ride and the plot twists left my head spinning. I absolutely loved it. This was my first Alice Feeney book but it will definitely not be my last. It was spooky and atmospheric! It was suspenseful and left me on the edge of my seat!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/injury detail, Car accident, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore
penandpaper's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
An amazing book! At times, the build up and prose was a bit repetitive, but that’s a common problem with mysteries. This is a book about living in the past and needing to accept it to move on, and it’s very well done. The plot twist could be decisive (I first hated it, then loved it, then had lingering questions), but the book does a good job of balancing comfortable nostalgia with suspense and mystery. I think this is a book you’ll either love or hate from the ending.
Spoiler
I think the mechanics of the final twist could have been done better. Like, why does she stick around but not her relatives? Does the book set her free? What happens to Trixie? As much as I appreciate the sudden twist and the tie in to the beginning, I wish we had more information
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Murder, Death, Sexual content, Alcohol, Car accident, Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Medical content, and Animal cruelty
____emily____'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse