Scan barcode
huajin23's review against another edition
3.0
Read this way too fast. But I feel like I liked the show better than the book?
milliesusan55's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I watched the show prior to reading this book and so i kinda knew what to expect but what I didn't expect was how much more heartbreaking Celeste's arc was in this book than in the show hearing her try to rationalise and assume guilt tore at my heart! All the characters, especially Celeste, Madeline and Jane, were so well written they were flawed and complex and real and that definitely helped keep my interest.
The showdown scene was both super intense and almost calm at the same time while the whole aftermath was written realistically. However, I would like to have seen more of the friendship development although I appreciate the book was already fairly long. I would recommend this book and I'm very tempted to rematch the show now too lol.
The showdown scene was both super intense and almost calm at the same time while the whole aftermath was written realistically. However, I would like to have seen more of the friendship development although I appreciate the book was already fairly long. I would recommend this book and I'm very tempted to rematch the show now too lol.
afgrammer's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emilychinn's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mericherry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail
cedrisc's review against another edition
4.0
I watched the tv series first and for the first half of the book I thought they did an excellent reproduction, but I think they fell short at the ending. The tv series rushes the ending, and I was left thinking 'what the hell?'. The book ending was more emotional and fills in all the blanks, and raised this from a 3 stars to a 4 stars. The book does a better job of showing the tangled web of domestic violence. People always question why the victim doesn't just leave, but what if you still love them? Thought provoking book, and one I recommend. I think I would have liked it more if I hadn't watched the tv series first.
a56jml's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe 3.5 - I read this book for book club. It was written to keep you in suspense for the ending, what happened on Trivia Night but all it did was make me anxious. So I can't say I enjoyed reading this book. I was glad that all the questions were answered and I did grow to like the characters more as the book went on. I can see why the book is so popular, just not really my cup of tea.
sabr1nx's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed the characters and the nitty gritty details of their life however there was a lot that I couldn’t relate to most of the references in the book also not being a middle/higher class white women. Quite hard remembering all the characters, husbands and children. The plot line was good however the ending wasn’t as big of a twist as I would have hoped for and kind of predictable?
Although this book didn’t do much for me on this occasion I must say Lianes other books are very much well worth reading maybe I was just expecting a little too much from this one.
Although this book didn’t do much for me on this occasion I must say Lianes other books are very much well worth reading maybe I was just expecting a little too much from this one.
liz_mcc's review against another edition
4.0
I was curious to read this book, after hearing good things from a variety of people with very different tastes. While this book isn't groundbreaking work, it's fun, it's suspenseful, and I found myself really liking and rooting for all three main women (and, therefore, I was roped in by my nervousness about who it was that ended up dead in the end). I realize "fun" is a strange word to describe a book that deals directly with domestic violence, but Moriarty is somehow able to juggle pieces about the horrors of abuse, with moments of wit and comedy.
While the believable schoolyard drama between parents added to my fear of ever having children, I appreciated the tense build-up to the trivia night, and was ultimately surprised by the ending. I thought the story was well plotted, and appreciated how some seemingly unrelated story lines tied back together.
I did feel Moriarty could have delved deeper into some subjects the book touched on briefly. For example, there is one chapter in which Jane talks about women and girls only being valued if they are pretty and skinny; she has some personal reasons to feel deeply about this, and it feels like there is more rage inside her about this than is fully revealed. Since this is, in many ways, a book about parenting, I think it would have been interesting to prod a little further into the ideas about gender parents pass on (intentionally or unintentionally) to their children.
Side note: Blue Blues was one of those wonderful settings where I wish I could dive into the book and hang out there for a while!
While the believable schoolyard drama between parents added to my fear of ever having children, I appreciated the tense build-up to the trivia night, and was ultimately surprised by the ending. I thought the story was well plotted, and appreciated how some seemingly unrelated story lines tied back together.
I did feel Moriarty could have delved deeper into some subjects the book touched on briefly. For example, there is one chapter in which Jane talks about women and girls only being valued if they are pretty and skinny; she has some personal reasons to feel deeply about this, and it feels like there is more rage inside her about this than is fully revealed. Since this is, in many ways, a book about parenting, I think it would have been interesting to prod a little further into the ideas about gender parents pass on (intentionally or unintentionally) to their children.
Side note: Blue Blues was one of those wonderful settings where I wish I could dive into the book and hang out there for a while!