Reviews tagging 'War'

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

15 reviews

gracenicole912's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So engaging and unique. Great format for a crime/mystery book. Haven’t read anything like it. Idk how I feel about the ending, and I wish there was more legal analysis, but that’s just me. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence and War

So unique and engaging. Great format for a mystery/crime book. Like nothing I’ve read before. Idk how I feel about the ending, and I wish there was more legal analysis (but that’s just me).

stepnic's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, War, Suicide, Infidelity, Infertility, and Cursing

hward's review against another edition

funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, War, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

zosiablue's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

SO FUN. I love an epistolary novel, I really do. Super clever & engaging murder mystery told through emails and texts, treated sort of like a game for the reader. Plus, a very accurate depiction of a community theater group. Definitely got overlong and complicated, but the format was like candy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, War, Murder, Mental illness, and Child abuse

Minor: Infertility

atalea's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Excrement, Pregnancy, Vomit, Rape, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Infertility, and War

calicat42's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

The structure was creative—a fun twist on the who dunnit genre.  At the start of the book, there’s no real information about what has happened, so instead of knowing what will happen and watching the characters figure it out, the reader only gets to know as much as the characters. Hard to put a book like that down! 

Although I fell in love with the structure, the content left me wanting a little. There were times where the plot moved quickly because the twists and turns were coming in every line. Yet there were times where I wished I could have read in x2 speed to move things along. I think this just comes to my preferences regarding mysteries; I don’t want to take my foot off the gas once the plot picks up! 

Overall, I enjoyed the read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Stalking, Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: War

tpasta's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape, Violence, and War

ncoletti's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Murder, Addiction, and Blood

Minor: War and Sexual violence

alywise's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I really like when books feel like nothing has happened, and then all of the sudden a bombshell drops and you realize stuff has been happening the whole time! This felt like… like Liane Moriarty meets Agatha Christie. I was left with some loose ends (who the actual f was Jackie Marsh? Did she ever get her passport back?), but mostly felt like the author gave appropriate closure and answers, without spoon feeding it to the reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Terminal illness, and Mental illness

Minor: Murder, Violence, Vomit, War, Suicide, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Medical content, Abandonment, Eating disorder, and Domestic abuse

allisonmaier's review against another edition

mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Death

Minor: Sexual assault and War