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aseel_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
This had potential, but it ended up being so boring and it didn't give us any resolution, since we never find out of the truth
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Murder
alexiasambrano's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
At first, I liked the book. The pacing in the beginning was definitely a lot faster than the middle, though the pacing picked up again towards the end.
I’ll start with what I enjoyed: I thought the building of the mystery was good, and, though flip-floppy, the perspective-switching from Claire to third-person accounts of the unfolding events, to Clive and other resort-dwellers provided much-needed context for the ongoing mystery.
What I disliked: In general, I intensely dislike books written by white authors that speak on or about the experiences of non-white people. And this book did exactly that. Much about Clive and Edwin’s upbringing, Clive’s experience in New York, and even the language being used to describe other island natives seemed distorted and overexaggerated for a white gaze. The cherry on top was that it was clear from the beginning that the author was attempting to craft a personality in Allison of arrogance and self-righteousness rooted in an “im not like other white people” mentality. At few points, the author does point that Allison herself is aware of this fact and is embarrassed by it, but it still feels icky to read a story of a white girl’s death and her interactions with Black men leading up to her death. I just feel this is an inappropriate story for a white woman to be writing. The author, and thus Allison’s self-awareness in terms of her white privilege isn’t really put to use beyond just identifying that this privilege, and their “discomfort” being surrounded by Black island natives as white people raised in predominantly white communities is somehow “natural.” Newsflash: it’s not natural, you’re just racist at worst, and implicitly biased at the very least.
Side note: towards the end, there’s quite a bit of what I would identify as “victim-blaming” or “slut shaming” in addition to heavily patriarchal values rooted in the sexual conquest of young college-aged girls. I just felt icky reading this, but I kept reading with hopes that it would get better. It didn’t.
I’ll start with what I enjoyed: I thought the building of the mystery was good, and, though flip-floppy, the perspective-switching from Claire to third-person accounts of the unfolding events, to Clive and other resort-dwellers provided much-needed context for the ongoing mystery.
What I disliked: In general, I intensely dislike books written by white authors that speak on or about the experiences of non-white people. And this book did exactly that. Much about Clive and Edwin’s upbringing, Clive’s experience in New York, and even the language being used to describe other island natives seemed distorted and overexaggerated for a white gaze. The cherry on top was that it was clear from the beginning that the author was attempting to craft a personality in Allison of arrogance and self-righteousness rooted in an “im not like other white people” mentality. At few points, the author does point that Allison herself is aware of this fact and is embarrassed by it, but it still feels icky to read a story of a white girl’s death and her interactions with Black men leading up to her death. I just feel this is an inappropriate story for a white woman to be writing. The author, and thus Allison’s self-awareness in terms of her white privilege isn’t really put to use beyond just identifying that this privilege, and their “discomfort” being surrounded by Black island natives as white people raised in predominantly white communities is somehow “natural.” Newsflash: it’s not natural, you’re just racist at worst, and implicitly biased at the very least.
Side note: towards the end, there’s quite a bit of what I would identify as “victim-blaming” or “slut shaming” in addition to heavily patriarchal values rooted in the sexual conquest of young college-aged girls. I just felt icky reading this, but I kept reading with hopes that it would get better. It didn’t.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Pregnancy
edhyndman's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
muckl3t83's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
cozyhen's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was really hoping there would be more of a thriller aspect to this book, but maybe my expectations were wrong. I liked all of the perspectives from different people throughout Alison's life that broke up the chapters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
jessiejonesbentley's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
4.75
I read this because I wanted White Lotus vibes and I would say mission accomplished but it is also deep/about how people move on after/through grief
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
abicaro17's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was so good and had potential! Unfortunately it falls flat. They kinda explain what happens to Allison but then they dont? Like they just kinda fill in the blank with the "most likely scenario" and left it at that. Also what the hell happened to Clive?! Like Sara gets an epilogue and not Clive?! Disrespectful. Also the whole befriending the dude you think murdered your sister is insane. Like the book could have been so cool but the end is boring and kinda predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
anneenichole's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I can't believe I finished this. Honestly don't know why I did. It started at a decent 3 stars and just progressively got worse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
ohyeah_karyn's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
I picked this up at a library book sale because I thought it sounded like a great mystery thriller.
"Saint X" follows a young woman named Claire. When she was only six years old, her college aged sister disappears during their family vacation in the Caribbean on an island named Saint X. At the time, there were two young men who were deemed suspects, but ultimately, they were let go because there was not enough evidence to convict them. The crime has since remained unsolved. Claire now lives in New York City, and she desperately tries to forget that horrible time in her life, until something happens, and she is overwhelmed with the urge to finally figure out what happened to her sister.
Going into this story, I thought it was going to be a mystery thriller, and looking at GoodReads, that is how it is classified, but I do not think this is a thriller. Although the book is written well, and the story is interesting, this story was not jarring enough to be considered a thriller for me. If anything, this book is a crime mystery, and a kind of slow-paced one at that.
Additionally, I did not vibe well with Claire as a character. There was something cold about her that I just did not like, and because of that, I could not get on board with anything she did.
This book is fine, and probably will work better for someone else.
"Saint X" follows a young woman named Claire. When she was only six years old, her college aged sister disappears during their family vacation in the Caribbean on an island named Saint X. At the time, there were two young men who were deemed suspects, but ultimately, they were let go because there was not enough evidence to convict them. The crime has since remained unsolved. Claire now lives in New York City, and she desperately tries to forget that horrible time in her life, until something happens, and she is overwhelmed with the urge to finally figure out what happened to her sister.
Going into this story, I thought it was going to be a mystery thriller, and looking at GoodReads, that is how it is classified, but I do not think this is a thriller. Although the book is written well, and the story is interesting, this story was not jarring enough to be considered a thriller for me. If anything, this book is a crime mystery, and a kind of slow-paced one at that.
Additionally, I did not vibe well with Claire as a character. There was something cold about her that I just did not like, and because of that, I could not get on board with anything she did.
This book is fine, and probably will work better for someone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death