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kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
noellesmagicallibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I think the shorter length of this book did it a disservice. It either needed to be condensed a little bit into a novella or drawn out to give more of a backstory. Harley’s character and his role in the story could have been really cool but he didn’t do much. I wanted him to get more involved in the cold case, uncover some deep dark secrets and ultimately find out what happened to those missing girls.
Big spoiler ahead — this is the big reveal I was hoping for
Also, I didn’t care for the “romance” aspect between Madeline and Badger
Overall, Christmas Presents isn’t the best holiday thriller I’ve read, but it’s not terrible either. The author does do a great job at utilizing different characters points of view, switching between first and third person, while also using past and present timelines.
Oh and one more thing. The profession is “physician assistant” not “physician’s assistant”. There’s no possessive; I do not belong to the doctor I work with.
Moderate: Cursing, Torture, and Kidnapping
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.5
“I know how you can miss something that's right in front of you.”
I mainly picked up this story because I needed an author starting with 'U' to complete the ABC Author challenge, but I tend to enjoy Lisa Unger's writing so it was by no means a chore to do so. I thought Christmas Presents was also quite fitting since we are currently in the holiday season... This turned out to be quite a quick and not that long read, and I would have probably finished it in an afternoon if I hadn't started a new crochet project and got distracted. I have a weak spot for stories with a podcast angle, so that was definitely a bonus here. I was also very much intrigued by the mystery around that night and the two girls still missing all those years later... The flashbacks to the teenage years weren't my favorite: I much preferred spending time in the present, although I do understand why these flashbacks were incorporated. What really put a damper on things though was that I guessed the truth about the disappearance of the two sisters and who was behind it very early on. The supposedly red herring was just too easy to guess, which was truly a shame. I could have done without the cheating, love triangle vibe and teen angst as well... But as a whole Christmas Presents was still entertaining enough and especially the second half is quite eventful. Just don't expect a complicated or nailbiting mystery, because the answers are mostly quite easy to guess. It's a good pick if you want to get in the holiday spirit and don't like reading Christmas romances though.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
foldingthepage_kayleigh'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
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Torture
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Bookstore owner Maddie Martin has seen her share of trauma. She's the sole survivor of an attack as a teenager that left one friend dead and two others missing and presumed murdered. Maddie has a vicious scar across her face as a reminder.
When true crime novelist/podcaster Harley Granger comes to Maddie's bookstore just before Christmas, he's wanting to delve into the case.
The murderer is in prison, but women have recently gone missing in the town - was the man convicted not acting alone?
Christmas Presents is my first Lisa Unger book, and high on my anticipated read list for the season. It did not disappoint! As can happen with a novella, I might have liked a little more time with the story/characters.
But overall - recommended!
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
boats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
avidreaderandgeekgirl'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
3.0
I found this book fairly predictable. I know since it was a shorter book it was harder to write a more complex mystery, but still. I knew from about halfway through the book who the murderer was.
I also could have gone without the romance, though luckily it wasn't a huge part of the book.
Overall an okay thriller. I just think the story could have been a longer and better book since it had good bones to it.
Extra ratings: Fluff - 0/5 Heartfelt- 4/5 Helpful-NA Horror- 1/5 Inspiration- NA Love aka Romance-2/5 Mystery-4/5 Predictability- 4.5/5 Spice- 0/5 Suspense- 3/5 Tear 4/5 Thrill- 4/5 Humor-0.5/5
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse