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kingrosereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
It’s pretty hard to get into. The characters aren’t likable at all. Stephanie let her sons walk all over her and they were clearly sociopaths that were hurting girls at their high school. I wanted to beat their faces in every time they popped up. Enzo was very possessive of Stephanie and also turned out to be a total creep. Michelle is a nosy hypocrite and Jude is a monster of a man doing horrible things to protect his family which turns out isn’t worth protecting! Caroline is crazier than everyone else.
The book was short yet it took me nearly a week to get through because it was just so hard to capture my attention. It wasn’t until around 70% that had my attention and I finished the book in one sitting. The twists were interesting but seemed to come out of nowhere logical. It being so short there wasn’t enough time to build the characters (and at least make one of them likable) and build the story and suspense. In the end, Stephanie grew a backbone and I hope she’s moving on trying to start over cause her boys are clearly lost causes.
The book was short yet it took me nearly a week to get through because it was just so hard to capture my attention. It wasn’t until around 70% that had my attention and I finished the book in one sitting. The twists were interesting but seemed to come out of nowhere logical. It being so short there wasn’t enough time to build the characters (and at least make one of them likable) and build the story and suspense. In the end, Stephanie grew a backbone and I hope she’s moving on trying to start over cause her boys are clearly lost causes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, and Abortion
chapkip's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
“Comfort was the enemy. It’s when you feel the safest that you’re most vulnerable.”
Our Little Secret follows a cast of characters living in the small, close-knit community of Cason Glen. The neighborhood has been rocked by the murder of one person and sudden disappearance of another, and it quickly becomes evident that just about everybody in town has something to hide.
I love stories about small towns, especially those focusing on a darker undercurrent, but I found this book to just be okay. It did a good job of keeping me on my toes, taking twists and turns that I expected at first and then never would have guessed. However, the dialogue and overarching conflict felt repetitive at times. None of the characters were particularly likable, but I found myself absolutely hating a handful of them. There are more compelling ways to convey an air of mystery and suspicion than having each character explicitly state that they’re keeping a secret, but alas.
Overall, too many POVs and some redundancy knocked this book down to 3-stars for me. That being said, I would absolutely give another thriller by this author a chance.
Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for access to this audiobook!
Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for access to this audiobook!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence
garlinds's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Not everything is as it seems in the perfect little town called Cason Glen. There are gossiping adults, unruly teenagers, unsolved murders, and missing people galore.
This story is told by multiple narrators, all unreliable at best, as the webs they've spun begin to unravel. Modglin had me asking questions from the beginning and masterfully trailed me along until the very end. The twist of the last chapter was chilling and something I did not see coming. Ultimately, this is a story about the lengths to which we will go to protect those that we love. And how quickly we will turn on them as well, given the right circumstances.
Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for my audiobook.
This story is told by multiple narrators, all unreliable at best, as the webs they've spun begin to unravel. Modglin had me asking questions from the beginning and masterfully trailed me along until the very end. The twist of the last chapter was chilling and something I did not see coming. Ultimately, this is a story about the lengths to which we will go to protect those that we love. And how quickly we will turn on them as well, given the right circumstances.
Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for my audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy
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