Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

10 reviews

emilynied's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book dove right in within the first fifty pages and at times was quite challenging to get through. It's descriptive, disturbing and challenging as a reader. I initially picked up this book thinking it would be about a character post-abduction, re-entering the world and the psychological effects of a year spent kidnapped. The book, however, spent most of its first half describing the details of Annie's year kept in the mountains, probing into her innermost thoughts, emotions and fears. The book is interesting in that it tells Annie's story through meetings with her therapist, but we as the reader don't ever meet this person, as the story is told in purely first person. She talks to the reader as if we are the therapist, which makes for some interesting storytelling and cliffhangers between "sessions," broken up into chapters. I think I would have liked to see some sort of therapist "character," but the pacing felt super fast to me and kept me so intrigued - I read this in like a day. 

The second half was what really surprised me. Rather than seeing Annie work through her trauma and experiences, the plot really focuses on the mystery surrounding the abduction and the web of potential connections and crimes that the reader (or just me?) never even suspected. I really liked the mystery here, but would have liked to see more of Annie's character arc as that felt pretty unresolved to me - the entire ending felt a little stilted and sudden after the last big bombshell dropped.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Pregnancy

mbredahl3's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Car accident

persephone__'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark sad 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? Yes

5.0

This is one of the most gut wrenching books I have ever read. Just about every twist and turn absolutely wrecked me, and my heart broke for Annie with every chapter. 

I'd give anything to read it for the first time again, ngl. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

daria_morgendorffer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Wow. This book was incredible. It grabbed my attention from the first page and didn’t let go until I read the last word. I’m sure I’ll think of this book in the days to come. 

I loved how the narrative was laid out  and how the characters were well-developed. 

I can’t wait to read more from this author. 

Also, make sure to check out the content warnings before reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

smixter88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I can't use my normal rating scale for this book. It's extremely heavy and chock full of trigger warnings. It tosses them right in from the word go. I gave this book four stars because this author kept me until the very end. I was disgusted, sad, hopeful, and just sympathetic the entire time. It was a brutal read. I had a love/hate relationship with the ending, which is why I took one star away. I wanted Annie to have more closure. I thought she deserved more. I can't say I'd recommend this book to many people. Read at your own risk. If you have any trigger warnings, check them out, and don't take them lightly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy

hapikohw's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

 Gave it a 4 star review with a 5 star audio performance by the narrator. Was fast-paced, emotional and reminded me of a good version of a Lifetime movie. At the beginning, I was concerned with how I was going to take the protagonist, but by the end all I wanted to do was be there for her and never leave the story and her side. It also had a bittersweet ending, one of hurt, but also new beginnings and a journey for healing. The only thing is I don't think the retelling through therapy sessions did anything for this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

ekmook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

autumnwhite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

motherelectricity's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism and Child abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content