mgudaval's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Murder and Abandonment
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
bahamamama's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
While I did like the author's slow-burn thriller style, the pedophile content was disturbing. I'll check trigger warnings before trying another Lisa Jewell book.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
Minor: Animal death
haleysversion'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
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
kimveach'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
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Blood, Cursing, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Murder, Pedophilia, and Violence
starrfishandcoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual violence and Abandonment
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a really good thriller filled with lots of twists and tension. I love when a unreliable character is done well and Lisa Jewel managed to pull it off.
Josie's story is so compelling that you can completly understand why Alix would be sucked in. Slowly we start to see holes in her narrative and her obsessive/stalkerish behaviour come out. We are trying to figure out the truth right along with Alix.
I really liked the format of this book. It flips between Alix and Josie's POVs along with exerpts from the podcast/documentary.
I wish that there would have been more of an acknowledgement of the trauma that Josie endured. She was groomed by a pedophile and then married and had children with him. YES, that does explain some of her actions. She was a victim herself. Noone ever tried to HELP Josie. Even her mother blames her for "stealing" her boyfriend, not the 40 year old man grooming her daughter (wtf!).
The final chapter had me second guessing a few things. Was Josie telling partial truths all along? Was she trying to protect her daughters? The ending leaves it up to us to interpret the truth.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
ari_1233'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
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Body horror, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
velvetreads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Violence, and Toxic friendship