Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

51 reviews

taliesinrex's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

A really nicely-executed thriller that really did keep me guessing on the culprit (and victim!) right up til the reveal. the POV swapping takes a little bit of getting used to, but makes for a really interesting means of keeping the suspense throughout the ride, and obscuring details of the events up to the climax. the payoff is ultimately super satisfying and I think this would be a great one to revisit to comb through the clues scattered throughout earlier in the book (at least a couple I can name off the top of my head).

ultimately quite a good time, and was a quick read for me as I found myself drawn in by the short chapters and biased narration. characters are mostly pretty detestable, but that really does work in the book's favor as some of the main POV characters are given a chance to show their more sympathetic sides while the friend group and their Drama remains pretty entitled and doomed from the get-go. prose is effective at what it's going for, if a little rough at the start for me; I found that early on some of the internal monologue felt a bit too on the nose, with a couple characters outright stating things like "I like to say mean things to feel in control" that I thought might have been a little more effectively shown through their actions and reactions. I took issue with a couple minor elements - primarily to do with

being a little bit bored by Doug by the reveal of his backstory. His and Heather's romantic relationship also felt somewhat shoehorned in, and Katie's narration in the epilogue fell a bit flat to me

but overall not in a way that hindered my enjoyment of the mystery and drama that Foley created!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Homophobia

bessadams's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, and Infertility

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, and Vomit

weelasswithabook's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

3.5 🌟 

CW: Murder,  infertility, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, child abuse, animal death/hunting, outing, PTSD, Afghanistan war flashbacks, death, cheating, toxic friendships, stalking

🌟 Thriller

Every character in this book bar Heather and Doug are AWFUL. I don't think I've ever seen so many unlikeable characters in the one place 🤣 I could not wait to find out who the victim was, never mind the perpetrator, because it could've been any of them and I'd still have been delighted. There was no way for me to be disappointed here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Outing

Minor: Addiction, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury

savleigh98's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Didn't like nearly as much as her other book, The Guest List, didn't get hooked in like I did with the other one.
I disliked pretty much every every character, they were all caricatures of personality stereotypes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Homophobia and War

fiercereadsfiction's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Homophobia and Infertility

madeline_p4's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction and Homophobia

chris_reads's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

3.5

With the wintry isolated setting, a tense party of old friends, and toxic female friendships, I was reminded a lot of Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood. I preferred this one. Didn't love it though.

I liked the plot structure. I really like dual timelines, and the decision to withhold the victim's identity. And how so many characters felt like legitimate suspects. If you want a book with likeable characters, keep looking. I think this is the aspect of the genre that stops me from truly loving it. The mystery keeps me reading, but I never get all that invested in the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Homophobia, Infertility, Vomit, and Classism

moyarb's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.25

I did love the setting and how isolated it felt. It set the mood and the last 20 chapters or so were enjoyable. Unfortunately, this was too slow for me (It's 60 chapters plus an epilogue!), but I think if I didn't go in expecting a whodunnit and seeing the reviews on the back cover comparing it to Agatha Christie, I probably would've enjoyed it more. This wasn't a murder mystery, but more like a domestic drama with some suspense sprinkled at the end. The characters were either very unlikable or boring, and the ending wasn't satisfying. Of the trope about a group of longtime friends who secretly hate each other, this was the weakest. 

Earlier this year, I read The Paris Apartment which is Lucy Foley's most recent work and the first book of hers I read.  I loved The Paris Apartment, but having read The Hunting Party and the preview of The Guest List, Foley's mysteries are pretty much the same format: Multiple POVs set back and forth in time during the present and the time leading up to the present and I suppose it all depends on execution because I think The Paris Apartment was more engaging and had a good blend of the drama and the mystery. At least it showed that Foley improved on her formula. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Outing

rmperash's review

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: War

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Outing, and Sexual harassment

suchallie's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Great winter read. I wanted more from the ending - some of the writing in the last few chapters felt lazy but otherwise well done. Lucy Foley manages to keep the surprises well hidden for the most part but some things I did see coming. I read The Guest List first and it has many similarities. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Infertility, Blood, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and War