runaway_milkyway's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Stalking, Sexual content, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood and Drug use
Minor: Mass/school shootings and Vomit
lmy612's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Keeps you guessing until the last few chapters with all the twists and turns right up to the end.
My only dislike is that the audio book was read by one person who was voicing chapters from multiple characters’ POV. Sometimes it took me a while to know and remember who’s head I was in.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Drug use, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
jesthemess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
booksthatburn'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? Yes
4.0
The narrative style is a bit unusual. There are several main characters whose perspectives are shown as point-of-view characters. But only Chloe narrates in first-person, the others use third person. This creates detachment and uncertainty, which works especially well when Chloe suspects most of them of being the murderer at one time or another. I like Chloe, Charles, and Andre, they're a solid trio in the narrative, even as their individual relationships with each other are very different throughout the text. They make sense as people, which is important in a story which revolves around a bunch of characters having the same mental health diagnosis. Chloe has her own way of being a psychopath which is distinct from the others, with these traits often helping but just as frequently getting in the way of her goals. I like her as a character, and Charles has his own charm, but Andre is my favorite of the main three.
By focusing on characters who are diagnosed with psychopathy, the narrative takes advantage of an opportunity for a wonderful mix of showing and telling. Chloe knows that certain of her traits are because of her psychopathy, but that doesn't make her better at controlling her impulsiveness (at least not this early in the program).
This is a solid mystery, very thrilling. The twists and turns make sense without being immediately guessable. Part of what helps is there are lots of bad actors in addition to the actual murderer, so it becomes a matter of figuring out who is doing a bunch of bad things, whether they're doing one or several of them, and whether any of them are enough for that person to make sense as the killer.
Graphic: Violence, Death, Sexual content, Vomit, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy, Ableism, Child abuse, and Rape
syddsmiles1024'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Stalking, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Drug use, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
odrib's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug use, and Infidelity
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Car accident
corar's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Murder, Death, Mental illness, and Stalking
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Suicide
theqwerty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Car accident and Pedophilia
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Gun violence
whatmaddieread'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
3.5
I like a character-driven book and these characters were certainly interesting. I found the POV switching to be awkward and wanted the perspective to stay the same throughout. Chloe’s chapters were the most interesting and I really enjoyed the sinister tone Kurian adopted there.
As expected, I enjoyed the campus portions of this one, and liked the Washington, D.C. setting a lot. My main gripe with this one is that too much was going on and I felt like the novel was never focused in the way I was hoping. Case in point — Chloe arrived on campus with a clear motive and I thought that plot line was by far the most compelling. While the overarching threat of the murders in the group was interesting, it took focus away from the parts of the book that I was enjoying most. It didn’t help that the resolution of all of these felt rushed and unsatisfying.
I would certainly read another novel by Kurian — I think she does the rich and tortured college student voice really well. This one had a lot of potential, but got bogged down by too many POVs and too many plots points that didn’t come to fruition in the way I was hoping.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Alcohol, Drug use, Infidelity, and Rape
Moderate: Stalking
mondovertigo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Stalking, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Child death, and Drug abuse
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Racism