greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Gun violence, and Medical content
3readingcircus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Moderate: Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, and Cancer
Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Rape, and Infertility
lmy612's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Death, Chronic illness, Murder, and Death of parent
zc2'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Stalking, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
cheyrohm's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Death, Infertility, Stalking, and Death of parent
lindseyjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Infertility, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Gun violence
kfquarium's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Stalking, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Infertility, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, and Sexual content
nrogers_1030'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Stalking, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, Infidelity, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Infertility, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, Suicide, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
So much of this book hinges on you being patient with mediocre writing, hollow characters, twists that make absolutely no sense with very little evidence throughout the book to support it, and for you to keep track of a bunch of side characters that add little to the story as a whole. Not to mention, by the time I was less than halfway through, I was already so tired of reading about these privileged WASPs - literally characters with lineage dating back to the Mayflower. I just stopped caring, but I *did* want to know if my theories were correct, because I am a freak who is obsessed with being right.
I can't say this is a complete dud - the book did have its moments that were genuinely creepy, and where I thought that Avery, the therapist, was sort of interesting. I enjoyed her chapters because at least they didn't feel as hollow as the chapters that followed Marissa, her client and one half of "the golden couple" in question. I also enjoyed her dog, he was adorable. I also thought that one of the scenes toward the end was very chilling, but it quickly became cringey and far-fetched, so it didn't really amount to much. Though I did enjoy Avery at times, it became increasingly hard to believe that she is as smart as these authors want to pretend she is.
All of this said, for once, I didn't call the ending of a thriller, which I enjoy, usually...except...I only didn't guess this ending because it made no sense in any realm.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Alcohol, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Child death, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Medical content
Minor: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Animal cruelty
thatswhatshanread'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
3.5
The writing was gripping and the short chapters helped moved the story along, even when I found some parts of the plot dragging a little. I did like the dual POVs switching between the two main female characters of the novel, the unorthodox therapist and the unfaithful wife. Overall, the web of lies and deception played out well, bringing in several minor characters to make you second guess things.
Still, the final moments and twists of the book kinda threw me off of the intrigue. It didn’t quite add up, perhaps feeling a little rushed and tired, in terms of the genre. I guess I was disappointed in the end results, but I wouldn’t say that made it a bad book. I just hoped for something else to happen.
This one was definitely all about perfect appearances, and people not being who they seem to be on the surface. Perfection often precedes secrecy.
Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent