Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Pretty Girls, by Karin Slaughter

48 reviews

thebookesquire's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

3.0

I loved The Good Daughter. This is not nearly as good. Was it disturbing? Yes. Was it interesting? Yes. But I didn't love the main characters, the plot was quite predictable, and there was a large section in the middle that took me forever to get through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Rape, Kidnapping, Torture, Gun violence, and Infidelity

Minor: Drug use and Addiction

xmacabre's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A lot of trigger warnings for this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Mental illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia

jillgoober's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

This was a really great thriller but extremely dark. As much as I've been loving Karin Slaughter's books lately, I think I need a break. In fact, I had to take a break from listening to this one about 70% through. However, I did discover that it is a trend in her books that there are two sister narrators, said sisters were estranged in some way, it takes place in Georgia, and some character is either a veterinarian or loves animals.

Pretty Girls was better than False Witness but not as strong as The Good Daughter. Sisters Lydia and Claire lost their oldest sister Julia back in 1991 when Julia was 19. She disappeared one day on her way back from a party in college and was never found. In the present, Lydia has a teenage daughter and a boyfriend, while Claire's husband was just murdered. When Claire finds some incriminating material on her late husband's computer, she contacts her estranged sister for help. You will honestly not believe what happens next (yes, I know that's cliche to say).

Again, this was a good thriller but reader beware that this is very very dark.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Grief, Gun violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Torture, Physical abuse, Rape, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Violence, Confinement, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

kearac's review against another edition

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Grief

hcrawfo3's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking

ssarahbbeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was such a rollercoaster. I couldn't put it down even at the most difficult parts to read. This is my first 5 star read of the year. The characters are raw and unforgiving, I want to reach out and shake them for what they have done in the past but I am so caught up in what's happening with their story now I didn't know how to process my own emotions about it. It's thrilling but softens the tension with emotion at just the right times. It is a very graphic and disturbing book and I recommend searching trigger warnings before proceeding. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Body shaming, Stalking, and Addiction

Huge spoiler:

Spoiler

the main characters watch a video of their teenage sister's graphic assault and murder. The perpetrator torments one of the sisters by admitting to showing it to her father before he killed him, staging it as a suicide.

schnanko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Police brutality, Sexism, Stalking, Violence, Body horror, Murder, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Gun violence, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

abiartkh's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Child death, Addiction, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Gore, Infidelity, Body horror, Body shaming, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Mental illness

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

A vastly gripping psychological thriller that packs punch after disturbing punch of twisted lies and chilling in-depth details about a young woman’s disappearance.

Claire and Lydia, estranged sisters brought back together by another tragedy, embark on a journey almost twenty-five years old as new clues come to light about their older sister, Julia, who went missing when she was nineteen and was never found. Nothing is as it seems as present begins to connect rather ominously with the past.

This was my first Karin Slaughter book and man, did it deliver. It’s definitely a very dark book that seems to get darker with each shocking turn, not shying away from grisly facts or chilling thoughts. The writing was intense, fast-paced, evocative. Slaughter’s words made the story so vivid and realistic, my heart pounding the whole way through as if I were one of Julia’s sisters, too. 

If you’re a fan of Gillian Flynn, you’ll also devour this one. I found their writing styles quite similar and engaging.

I loved the way this story played out, the different story arcs that came to fruition. Of course, the subject matter is even more sinister then you’d imagine out the gate, but it was used so well in this one. 

I suspect I will be thinking of this book for a long time!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Addiction, Gore, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Excrement, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Gun violence

Minor: Body horror

riella_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

 This was so disturbing and creepy but in the best way. I read this relatively fast compared to how big the book is. The only reason I knocked a half star is because I didn't understand what made Julia and her family so special. I expected to find out, but in less I missed something it was never explained why. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Bullying, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Suicide, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Pedophilia, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, and Vomit