Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Gone to See the River Man

lori steadily became such an obviously horrible person that i nearly DNF'd around 60% or so, and honestly? she somehow just kept getting worse, really probably wouldn't have missed out on much if i'd just stopped there. i appreciate that it didn't seem like the writing actually tried to excuse any of the awful, AWFUL shit she did but the way she blames all those awful things on her victims and seemingly never seriously thinks that any of it was HER fault just made her so insufferable to read about i was at my wit's end by the last chapter. you and your serial killer boyfriend are perfect for each other girl, hope you got what was comin for you in the end 👍

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kermitdafrog's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

2.5

I can see what the author was going for in many aspects, but Gone To See The River Man honestly fell quite flat for me. The pacing of this book leaves a lot to be desired. I feel the "woods" section of the book went on for entirely too long, with a few genuinely interesting sections once they're in the river. I really wish more of the book had been in the vein of those few scenes. So much of this book is just them walking through the woods, then some decently implemented flashback chapters, then right at the end a few pages with the river man and a few pages after.

My main issues with this book go into heavy spoiler territory so here goes:

Her abuse of her brother to juxtapose her with Edmund was interesting, but the writing felt more like it was there to put it in the extreme category, not actually reflect on how their crimes and opinions on them connect them to eachother. There are ways to write unlikable main characters who do horrific things without remorse and have them be interesting, but she just isn't gripping enough. Her ableism is impossible to ignore (especially when you realize its directly her fault) and her weird jealousy just makes her annoying to read. It could have been an interesting commentary on abuse and how that affects a family, but that requires a level of tact and depth this novel ultimately lacks.

There is also some troubling ideas of love in here that I'm having a hard time believing is the character's opinion and not just the author's. Her vehemently denying any interest in Edmund felt genuine up to the point she suddenly heel turns towards the end, states she's head over heels for him and... means she'd obey him blindly? To the poijt of willingly being murdered? Having this be the influence of the river man or even just have this be a shift over time would be far preferable to how it was actually done.

Spoiler free Tldr: some interesting ideas thrown in around a terrible main character, heavy pacing issues, and heavy ideological issues not actually expanded upon enough to be seen as useful or insightful.

Content Warnings

_egg_wash's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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