nelldiaz'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: Blood, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide
bookishcori's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, and Murder
alisonvh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Blood, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Violence, Addiction, Death, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Genocide
dnlrbchd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, and Murder
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
jessylou'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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Police brutality, Violence, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Death, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
bookshelf_al's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Gore, Violence, Colonisation, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent and Police brutality
awebofstories'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
4.0
It's been a while since I read a strong, true Thriller and this book quenched that thirst perfectly.
I was drawn to this book by the Māori point of view. Hana Westerman is an Auckland detective who straddles both the white world and her native Māori world. Not only did I find her inner conflict believable, but I appreciated how Bennett revealed it to the reader. While Hana may fall under the umbrella of a "hardened detective with their own baggage," it is easy to understand and even sympathize with her baggage.
Around Hana, we have some more strong characters. Her boss just happens to be her ex-husband. While they are on amicable terms, they can never quite get away from their relationship. Then there is their 17-year-old daughter, who is--a 17-year-old with her own sense of how the world should be. Finally, there is Stan, Hana's young and sweet professional partner for whom she serves as a mentor. I found all the relationships Hana has with these characters appropriately interesting and they all played into the plot. There were a few times when these characters made some predictable steps, but that is my only quibble with this book.
This book is a thriller, not a mystery. The point of this book is not to figure out who the culprit is, but to stop the culprit. And the culprit here is entrancing. This person is a product of events that stretch back a century and is concocted by running tradition up against generational trauma. They are fascinating and, in my opinion, on the same plane as the likes of Hannibal Lector (while there are some trigger warnings here, I can assure you that cannibalism is not one of them).
It appears that this is the start of a new series and I will jump on the next book as soon as it is released. Better the Blood has the best of the thriller genre and a unique voice of its own.
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Murder, Drug use, Colonisation, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit and Excrement
mysterymom46'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Racism, Police brutality, Drug use, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Spoiler
use of a sharp weapon to hack and stab victimscaseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Colonisation, Blood, Gore, Police brutality, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Cursing, Animal death, Murder, and Violence
internationalreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Suicide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Infidelity, Animal death, Genocide, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Classism, and Kidnapping