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bmhbubbles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse
rafacolog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Murder
laurajordensharris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
ellagibbs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Moderate: Body horror and Violence
Minor: Blood
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse and Abandonment
gail_dancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
kerfuffle87's review against another edition
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Cultural appropriation
ricksilva's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The pacing (another specialty of Brown; the entire novel takes place over twenty-four hours, aside from some flashbacks) is used to obscure a whole range of plot holes, eventually leading to a big disappointment of a climax, followed by about four more chapters of philosophical debate on hidden meanings in the Bible and the power of positive thinking.
The noetic science that's a huge plot point in the story isn't really a science. It's repackaged new-age pseudoscience. The massive threat to national security that has the CIA involved in the case turns out to be
An early murder in the story, one of those "just to make sure everyone knows the villain is a really bad guy" killings reads like incel fanservice (the only things we know about the victim are that she's smart, she's overweight, and a computer nerd can't figure out why she possibly would have turned him down for a date).
Potentially world-changing discoveries that are referenced don't end up changing anything, and the story's teased revelations about the secrets of Freemasonry don't really amount to much in the way of revelations at all.
But I do now have some ideas of places I'd like to visit and take photos next time I'm in DC. So there's that.
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail
katrinarose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
marianneiriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol