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mrsrjg'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? Yes
2.0
This book is the most frustrated I've been with a book in a while, it just felt so pointless.
I'll start with what I liked about the book; I really enjoyed the short chapters and the multiple POVs as it made for a quick read, I actually sat up far too late to finish only to be disappointed. The story in itself was actually very thrilling but almost too much as I could feel my anxiety getting very high; not to mention the things that Janie was actually doing just left me feeling very strange.
OK so this book has no ending, I feel this should be put out there somewhere; according to the author she was asked by her editor to cut the epilogue and she did which was a major mistake. I have since found a reading of the epilogue on her Facebook page which if this had been added I would have increased my rating but people shouldn't have to search for the ending of a book.
And another thing, the characters in this book, in particular the husband, I have never wanted to slap someone so hard in all my life; he just pushes his wife aside to support this child he barely knows, to the point that he lets his family get hurt and is totally blind to the actions of this psychotic child; and also the way that he attached himself onto her from the beginning was borderline creepy behaviour for me.
Also, I feel like this book deserves major trigger warnings at the start as I felt majorly anxious and even burst into tears at one point due to past trauma.
There is a short sequel novella which I will read to see if any more questions are answered as not a lot were in this book regarding Janie, her actions and her mental capacity.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
cemsreadingcorner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 11:12 AM
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
wordsgirlie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
— slow-paced, multiple povs
“why did the universe allow people who hurt kids to have them? why couldn’t give them to people like me, who wanted them?”
this is my first lucinda berry book and i absolutely ate it all up. the story follows hannah and christopher, a happily married surgeon and nurse with picture-perfect lives. all that’s missing is a child. when janie, an abandoned six-year-old, turns up at their hospital, christopher forms an instant connection with her, and he convinces hannah they should take her home as their own.
first of all, i finished the whole story in just a few hours because it is literally a page-turner. the plot was indeed amazing. i got immediately interested after reading the first few chapters. i like the writing style and it was very easy to understand. it actually had the ‘orphan’ movie vibes in it, and i love how the mystery and suspense built up as the story goes. the characters are so effectively irritating and they definitely tested my patience. hannah is the only character i like in this book. on the other hand, christopher is so stupid and blind when it comes to hannah’s struggles and it made me loathe him more.
to be honest, i somehow dislike the ending of this book because it was a cliffhanger and i am looking for something more. but overall, this is still one of my best psychological thriller reads so far. i am horrified, mad, and frustrated the entire time i was reading this book. if you’re looking for a psychological book that’s horrifying but emotional at the same time, you should definitely pick this book up.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, and Murder
taniyi2000'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Murder
zetiacg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
annabelbryant's review
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
rosehecker's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Vomit
rachel_jones03's review
- 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? N/A
3.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
everleighrose5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
jekia243's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, and Violence