savheath's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Car accident, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
emilyhays8'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Drug abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Drug use, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
dorsetreader'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
Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Bullying, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Rape
annelihghh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Car accident, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexism, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Dementia and Fire/Fire injury
kimveach'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Infidelity, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Dementia
emilyspex's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Chronic illness, Dementia, Death of parent, and Cancer
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Rape, Murder, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Classism
arthur_ant18's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Like I said, though, The Club drew me in once the second half started. Fitting, since that’s when the threads of everyone’s individual subplots intertwine and you really begin to learn what messed-up crap the complicated characters are hiding. Aside from Ned’s personal assistant Nikki Hayes and Island Home’s head of housekeeping Jess Wilson, the only ones I truly rooted for (and kept mixing up until the second half, which apparently happened to other readers as well), almost everyone else belongs on varying levels of the slimeball scale. And that’s not a bad thing. Lloyd executes the trick of pulling you into a locked-room mystery that’s full of well-written douchebags without causing you to feel like they’re so unbearably unlikable that you have to DNF the book.
The somewhat predictable climax is enjoyable nevertheless, while the denouement isn’t nearly as tidily wrapped up as I would have expected for a thriller. This latter point was probably a deliberate choice, considering a passage near the end that contrasts the murky and incomplete conclusions of real life with the clean and final answers of fictional murder mysteries.
Overall, The Club won’t knock your socks off, but if you’re a Lucy Foley fan, you can stand the first half’s slowness, and you want a thriller that thrives on the glitzy and shady facets of its characters, I recommend adding this to your TBR pile.
Graphic: Car accident, Drug abuse, Murder, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Cursing, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Dementia, Vomit, and Death of parent