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meeklovestoread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I read this book was because the twist for "Behind Her Eyes" was spoiled for me and I thought it was the craziest twist I've ever heard about. So I decided to see if her other books were the same.
This book was pretty slow in the first half in my opinion, but it kept my intrigue enough to continue. I have to admit it did take me a while to get used to her writing style. The book was kind of like a slow burn with many leading plot elements. It was entertaining enough.
I love how we really got into the main character's head. At one point I seriously thought she was going crazy. I'm so happy she left her no good unsupportive husband. He really got on my nerves. And I'm also glad she was able to gain a better relationship with her sister and finally understand her mother.
Also, the twist (many might think it's outlandish) but I really liked it. It bumped the book a 0.5 star for me.
This book was pretty slow in the first half in my opinion, but it kept my intrigue enough to continue. I have to admit it did take me a while to get used to her writing style. The book was kind of like a slow burn with many leading plot elements. It was entertaining enough.
I love how we really got into the main character's head.
Also, the twist (many might think it's outlandish) but I really liked it. It bumped the book a 0.5 star for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
megelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
This was hard to rate because it's a book I have super mixed feelings about. As a thriller, it's really strong, and I loved the absolutely batshit turn that it takes and I just know that, like Behind Her Eyes, it's one that's going to stay with me and continue to haunt me every time I think about it. I also really loved the way the protagonist's complex relationships with her mother and sister are dealt with, and appreciated the look at difficult childhoods and generational trauma.
However - and it's a big however and potentially a little bit spoilery - there is one fairly prominent element of the book, outside of the main thriller-y storyline, that is just dealt with so, so, so fucking awfully and that I cannot in good conscience neglect to mention, and that's the way the grooming of a teenage girl is portrayed and dealt with. The way one character in particular, and one we're clearly supposed to root for, reacts to the situation is both ridiculously unbelievable and insanely infuriating. I was so mad and it ruined so much of the reading experience for me that I probably would have rated this lower had there not eventually been one whole character who finally points out how horrific what's happened is. That redeemed it just enough for me to still come away feeling like I enjoyed this overall, but this whole aspect of the book still let it down a lot for me. What makes it even worse is that plot-wise the book still would've worked absolutely fine had the grooming storyline either not been included or been included but dealt with appropriately.
I have another gripe with this book - though this one is more personal preference - and it's what happens in the epilogue. It's infuriating because in a way it's really clever and adds another haunting dimension to everything that's already happened, but it also does something that I just absolutely hate in any book that it happens in. I'm just going to pretend that the book ends at the end of the last chapter, as everything still would've made sense and I'd still have been left absolutely mind-blown.
So yeah, a mixed bag. I'm not sure whether I'll pick up anything by this author again, which is such a shame as her mind is clearly incredible and I love that I can go into her books just knowing that whatever I predict, the whole truth is going to be so much wilder than I could ever guess. But the grooming thing just so badly rubbed me up the wrong way and isn't something I can forget or brush over.
However - and it's a big however and potentially a little bit spoilery - there is one fairly prominent element of the book, outside of the main thriller-y storyline, that is just dealt with so, so, so fucking awfully and that I cannot in good conscience neglect to mention, and that's the way the grooming of a teenage girl is portrayed and dealt with. The way one character in particular, and one we're clearly supposed to root for, reacts to the situation is both ridiculously unbelievable and insanely infuriating. I was so mad and it ruined so much of the reading experience for me that I probably would have rated this lower had there not eventually been one whole character who finally points out how horrific what's happened is. That redeemed it just enough for me to still come away feeling like I enjoyed this overall, but this whole aspect of the book still let it down a lot for me. What makes it even worse is that plot-wise the book still would've worked absolutely fine had the grooming storyline either not been included or been included but dealt with appropriately.
I have another gripe with this book - though this one is more personal preference - and it's what happens in the epilogue. It's infuriating because in a way it's really clever and adds another haunting dimension to everything that's already happened, but it also does something that I just absolutely hate in any book that it happens in. I'm just going to pretend that the book ends at the end of the last chapter, as everything still would've made sense and I'd still have been left absolutely mind-blown.
So yeah, a mixed bag. I'm not sure whether I'll pick up anything by this author again, which is such a shame as her mind is clearly incredible and I love that I can go into her books just knowing that whatever I predict, the whole truth is going to be so much wilder than I could ever guess. But the grooming thing just so badly rubbed me up the wrong way and isn't something I can forget or brush over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
katosta8815's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very creepy. Repetitive at times, a lot of filler sub-plots, but overall interesting and mysterious enough to want to continue. There are some plot holes regarding the “family curse/gift” — there is mention of family members before Patricia having similar issues, however when the story concludes, we only get an explanation for Patricia, Emma, and Will.
Trigger warning forchild abuse and statutory rape (I have a big issue with the way this topic is handled in this book….)
Trigger warning for
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
katyannreads's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Mental illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
cpachet's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lots of build up, very quick (but tidy) wrap up. Second Pinborough book I’ve read with a surreal/supernatural element.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
maddireads13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Infidelity, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
tspice24's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
marieeh's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
2.5
I guess I just don't really like Sarah Pinborough's writing. I can't quite place what exactly it is, it felt really middle of the road for me and I had a hard time staying motivated to finish it. Since reading Behind Her Eyes I knew to at least suspect that there could be a supernatural element and there was, but this one was not quite as shocking for me. Maybe because I did expect it.
The story itself was fine, if a little forgettable. There was one side plot in particular that felt really unnecessary to me, and in my opinion was not handled appropriately: Chloe being groomed/abused by her parents' friend. It wasn't handled in the way you'd expect a parent to react to something like that. Even after it came out what was going on, her parents didn't do anything? It just kind of was brushed under the rug.
As for the meat of the story, some things just felt a little too convenient. And I guess I just didn't like the main device that caused everything to happen in the way that it did. How time is cyclical and the reason Emma's mother lost her mind at her 40th was simply because she was having premonitions/visions and had to do these things to warn Emma of the danger that was coming for her in the future at her own 40th... but if she hadn't done those things, none of it would have happened to Emma, Caroline, etc. I just didn't like it.
My final little complaint was the epilogue. It's fine to write a stand alone book, you don't have to create a whole universe for each of your books to exist in together, and even if you do put them in the same universe, characters don't have to interact. Maybe I've just read too many books lately where that happens but I'm tired of it (maybe I'm just no fun!).
The story itself was fine, if a little forgettable. There was one side plot in particular that felt really unnecessary to me, and in my opinion was not handled appropriately:
As for the meat of the story, some things just felt a little too convenient. And I guess I just didn't like the main device that caused everything to happen in the way that it did.
My final little complaint was the epilogue. It's fine to write a stand alone book, you don't have to create a whole universe for each of your books to exist in together, and even if you do put them in the same universe, characters don't have to interact. Maybe I've just read too many books lately where that happens but I'm tired of it (maybe I'm just no fun!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
amberjackonski's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship