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kbio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Stalking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Abortion, and Abandonment
taylorfield's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
The Skeleton Key is set in 2021 with flashbacks to previous moments in the characters' lives. Speaking of characters - there are many and they are so intertwined with one another that my Long Story Short summary can't begin to scratch the surface of the full plot. The book starts off at a snail's pace as a consequence of the amount of characters and complexity of the story, and by a quarter of the way in I found myself double-checking that I was listening to a mystery/thriller. The pace picks up as the search for the Golden Bones restarts, but this moment is short lived and the treasure hunt plays only a minor role. As flashbacks reveal character dynamics, shady intentions, and abuse, discoveries in the present are filtered through a whodunit lens that ultimately leads to a dysfunctional group of people proving just how far they'll go to protect themselves.
I'm left with mixed feelings, but I suppose that's to be expected considering the cast of unlikable characters (save one or two) and their questionable decisions. It was hard to grasp the magnitude of the effect The Golden Bones had on the world when told through Nell's perspective; her dramatics and holier-than-thou attitude made it really hard to take her perception of danger seriously, especially when literally nothing comes of it. One thing that really stood out to me is how much these characters yell at one another, but I suppose that's another layer of the dysfunction. I guess my final takeaway is that the whole lot need intensive therapy.
Enjoyment: 3/5
Craft: 4/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Abortion
bonestheartist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
imogenlj's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Infidelity, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
helena01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
fairymoo83's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
greta_mal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Rape
Minor: Abortion
capacitorofflux's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Random brief mentions of Covid could have been removed. Did nothing for the story and stopped being mentioned around halfway through. Felt like they were just thrown in for no good reason.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Suicide and Pandemic/Epidemic
kayleejanes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Pedophilia, Suicide, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Abortion
joanasimao's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide, Abortion, and Murder