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lilifane's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
I really loved the premise, was surprised by how intrigued I was from the beginning. The protagonist did some questionable things, but the author managed to make him pretty likeable still. Really enjoyed his point of view at the beginning. The twists and turns were also very good, did not see most of them coming. I had two problems with this. First, I understood the motivations and actions of the protagonist, but then he started to do weird things. Loved that other characters called him out for it, but it didn't make him stop. That was frustrating. And then at some point, maybe halfway through the book, the story and writing got super repetitive. Mainly, because of the different points of view that tell the same story. Usually, I like different timelines and POVs, but the execution was not ideal here. The ending dragged on because it was obvious what had happened, but the protagonist tried to get an epic conclusion by repeating everything the reader already knew.
I liked the discussion centering academia, though. About how men in power take advantage of female students or women in general. Liked how the author actually calls out and critiques sexism all the time. But in the end... it just comes back to stereotypes where men get away with things and women end up dead.
So, I liked and enjoyed most of the book, but it had the potential for much more.
I liked the discussion centering academia, though. About how men in power take advantage of female students or women in general. Liked how the author actually calls out and critiques sexism all the time. But in the end... it just comes back to stereotypes where men get away with things and women end up dead.
So, I liked and enjoyed most of the book, but it had the potential for much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Sexism, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Blood and Death of parent
annalieseagain's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i was wary at first to see this subject tackled my a man, but david bell handles it so well. a truly great exploration of the power dynamics at a university with a thrilling mystery at its center.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent
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