constant_reader_19's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad story. Didn’t care for the movie excerpts or the end. I did like the suspense with Liv and Travis.
alylentz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This was rough for me. I really liked Tabitha King's writing style in the first two-thirds before any of "trap" elements started happening... the family tension, the day-to-day details about their time at their summer house were working for me. But it really turned for me once the thriller/horror elements kicked in, and I don't know why, because I was definitely expecting a thriller going in. It just felt unsatisfying, everything was so suddenly over and we don't really come away with any further knowledge about the family or the way it affects them and there was so many horrible details about the villains along the way that it started to feel really gross and gratuitous. So many trigger warnings and also a couple of scenes that I felt were handled badly, though obviously it was written in the 80s, so check all that before going in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Incest and Sexual assault
chasingpages1's review
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Rape and Suicide
tom_book's review
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
xgraveyard_babyx's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
bluejay1997's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
2.5
eastofreaden's review
4.0
I admit, I only looked into Tabitha King’s bibliography because of who her husband is. But the synopsis of quite a few of them really piqued my interest, so I added a handful to my TBR.
The Trap introduces you to a family of four spending the summer at their second property (a cabin in Maine, of course). You learn the inner workings of the troubled marriage, and their own relationship with their two children, and some of their neighbours. It was very, very well written but it was still slow for the first half of the book. I normally would’ve followed my “50 page” rule (DNF a book if I’m not into it by the 50th page), but I read so many reviews that said the second half makes up for the first half. And they were right.
The marriage troubles come to a head and Livia goes back to their vacation home for the winter with her son. Three of the townies, which you’re introduced to in a very uncomfortable prologue, are making their rounds by breaking into all of the uninhabited vacation homes. They come across Livia and her son, and this is when it goes from a slowly moving story to a total “what the fuck is even happening”. I honestly felt a little blindsided because I wasn’t expecting some of the things that happen. Even the obvious (there is a rape scene, so please tread lightly if this is something you can’t stomach) was completely different from the way they are normally written.
Tabitha has a way with words, for sure. I feel like maybe this is why she and her husband were meant for each other; they are both so gifted when it comes to writing (which explains their son, Joe). And they also both tend to meander and add in details that seem excessive. In The Trap, Livia’s husband is a screen writer and portions of his newest movie (which honestly seems terrible) are interspersed throughout the actual story’s chapters. I felt like these were pointless and, if I’m being honest, skimmed a few of them.
I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work. I also definitely recommend this, but only for the patient few that are okay with a slow moving 100 or so beautifully written pages.
I would've given this 3.5 stars if possible, but I felt it deserved to be rounding up rather than down.
The Trap introduces you to a family of four spending the summer at their second property (a cabin in Maine, of course). You learn the inner workings of the troubled marriage, and their own relationship with their two children, and some of their neighbours. It was very, very well written but it was still slow for the first half of the book. I normally would’ve followed my “50 page” rule (DNF a book if I’m not into it by the 50th page), but I read so many reviews that said the second half makes up for the first half. And they were right.
The marriage troubles come to a head and Livia goes back to their vacation home for the winter with her son. Three of the townies, which you’re introduced to in a very uncomfortable prologue, are making their rounds by breaking into all of the uninhabited vacation homes. They come across Livia and her son, and this is when it goes from a slowly moving story to a total “what the fuck is even happening”. I honestly felt a little blindsided because I wasn’t expecting some of the things that happen. Even the obvious (there is a rape scene, so please tread lightly if this is something you can’t stomach) was completely different from the way they are normally written.
Tabitha has a way with words, for sure. I feel like maybe this is why she and her husband were meant for each other; they are both so gifted when it comes to writing (which explains their son, Joe). And they also both tend to meander and add in details that seem excessive. In The Trap, Livia’s husband is a screen writer and portions of his newest movie (which honestly seems terrible) are interspersed throughout the actual story’s chapters. I felt like these were pointless and, if I’m being honest, skimmed a few of them.
I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work. I also definitely recommend this, but only for the patient few that are okay with a slow moving 100 or so beautifully written pages.
I would've given this 3.5 stars if possible, but I felt it deserved to be rounding up rather than down.
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