djmelodious's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Spoiler
I like the format of the Netflix style documentary, it made me invested to know how all the puzzle pieces fit together. I also like books that make me really wonder who is telling the truth. The Fair family were all challenged in their own ways, none of them innocent in the end. But what really happened to Brooke? I 100% don’t trust Josie but like…her story at the end seems plausible. I’m really not sure.Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, Alcoholism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Confinement
angelasunshine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Toxic friendship, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
mgudaval's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Murder and Abandonment
nn11's review against another edition
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Stalking
lauren_shilling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
bookie22'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Blood, Alcoholism, Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Physical abuse
boomwormbrittany's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The way my jaw was on the floor at the end of this book and my mind was spinning. I am still at a loss for words and trying to figure out what happened in this book, who was telling the truth or lying. I was absolutely blown away and had to stare off into space when I finished this book.
This is such an interesting book if you like twist and turns around every corner. I would recommend that if you like audiobooks to definitely pick it up. This book is full cast and it sounds like you are watching a Netflix type documentary. It really immersed me into the story.
I don't want to say much about this story because I really don't want to spoil anything but my jaw was on the floor the whole time I was reading it. I gave this 4.5 stars because I didn't love this book but I still found it so interesting and will definitely be thinking about it for a long time.
If you're looking for a fast paced thriller and something that will have your head spinning, pick this up.
Moderate: Child abuse and Murder
amberlfaris's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Violence
david_slack110507'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
4.0
This was a very messed up story that focuses on the blurred lines of what is true and what is false and how far someone will go in lying to themselves, so they believe it, particularly with Josie in the ending. Josie was an interesting character to watch as when from her perspective she repeatedly lies to the audience and shapes the narrative in a way that suits her and what she truly believes is the case and it is only later on that we start to be encouraged to question whether or not what she is saying is truthful and has any merit to it. Alix felt like at times she was a representation of the audience who are trying to piece together Josie's story while also eventually coming to point out the lies in what is considered to be the truth. I felt like the two were very interesting characters to follow as they interweave in and out of one another's lives. Josie's story of being a victim, whether her narrative is real or not, does not place her as a villain because of the things that she has said has happened to her and the subject matter is dealt with in an appropriate fashion without being written off when it comes to light that at least certain things are proven to be not true.
The ending of the book was a major highlight for me as it seemingly wraps up the story in a clear and concise fashion in which every major plot point or secret is explained and its importance is revealed only for the final chapter to be from Josie's perspective to flip the narrative on its head due to how it questions the finality of the ending and whether or not the narrative has been properly revealed or manipulated due to who is control of it. In the ending, Josie seemingly believes that she is innocent and has done nothing wrong including the murder of her daughter, Roxy's, friend Brooke which she blames on her daughter. I liked this to be the ending chapter of the book as not only is it a good representation of the theme of control of a narrative but it also ends with the 'true' narrative of the book being up to the reader as to whether they believe what was accepted as the general truth by the majority of the public, the truth believed by Josie (that is most likely a narrative she created to avoid taking the blame) or maybe a bit of both (e.g. the murder of Brooke could be what Josie said that it was not actually her but her daughter and so she along with her family helped cover it up linking back to what Walter feared earlier in the book about something being revealed to the police). Even though it appears that it has an open and shut case ending, it could also be picked apart and given a different interpretation depending on the reader which made me appreciate the writing even more.
Overall, I really enjoyed my first Lisa Jewell book, and it makes me excited for whenever I get around to reading the other books I have of hers as well as the rest of her books. The twists and turns that were consistent throughout kept me invested and the characters particularly our main ones were very interesting in themselves.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Addiction, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, and Pandemic/Epidemic
hesticht's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping