crystal1978's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
sharron_joy_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
There have always been rumours of something strange about the town, so many children going missing, eerie long forgotten tunnels and places underground and the feeling of being watched. When two children go missing the new lad, Fraser and the school’s newspaper team headed by Cassie investigate when the school photographer, Fraser, loses his sister.
This is a fantastic horror story, full of creepy decaying places and the shiver down your spine of something otherworldly stalking the living. Not only does it deal with missing children taken by a mystery malignant evil but it also explores grief and family dynamics in such an incredible way. The story is both sad and hopeful, the characters above ground scared but brave, the ones below vicious and sly. This is a horror paranormal mystery and is a spine tingling tale of twisted innocence!
gooberdawn's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't sure how much I would like this at first but I was pleasantly surprised.
built_by_books's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lauraspages's review against another edition
3.0
At first this book appears to be an intimate exploration of a marriage, from day-to-day mundane routines, to the special moments, to suggestions of an extramarital affair. Keep reading and you'll find you have been just as duped as the characters in the book; everything is not as it seems. Nearly every character has lied or been lied to for almost two decades.
After eighteen years of marriage, Leo finds evidence that his wife Emma is not who she claims to be, Certain biographical details aren't correct and, suspecting she has been having an affair, he starts to dig a little deeper. But Emma can't tell Leo the full truth about her past because she doesn't know the truth herself.
The book quickly becomes an exploration of consent, mental health issues and the unreliability of an unstable singular perspective. It's got some sad moments and some nice observations about married life. However, there were quite a few plot points that felt a little far-fetched and some of the decisions the characters make about their lives are unfeasible.
It was an easy read and the twists in the tale did make for a more interesting story than 'married woman has an affair' but each outlandish development conjured an image of the author rubbing her hands and saying 'Ho ho - they'll never see this coming!'
My favourite character was Leo because he was just as baffled as I was. I'll never read this book again BUT I have to hand it to the author - she did keep me reading. The characters were human, flawed and easy to sympathise with. I cared about what happened to them and that is the reason I gave it 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
After eighteen years of marriage, Leo finds evidence that his wife Emma is not who she claims to be, Certain biographical details aren't correct and, suspecting she has been having an affair, he starts to dig a little deeper. But Emma can't tell Leo the full truth about her past because she doesn't know the truth herself.
The book quickly becomes an exploration of consent, mental health issues and the unreliability of an unstable singular perspective. It's got some sad moments and some nice observations about married life. However, there were quite a few plot points that felt a little far-fetched and some of the decisions the characters make about their lives are unfeasible.
It was an easy read and the twists in the tale did make for a more interesting story than 'married woman has an affair' but each outlandish development conjured an image of the author rubbing her hands and saying 'Ho ho - they'll never see this coming!'
My favourite character was Leo because he was just as baffled as I was. I'll never read this book again BUT I have to hand it to the author - she did keep me reading. The characters were human, flawed and easy to sympathise with. I cared about what happened to them and that is the reason I gave it 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
yanina's review against another edition
4.0
Lo leí cuando era chica y lo releí un par de veces porque me gustó. Considero que la historia es buena y original, mucho más después de haberme topado con tantos libros de horror en donde la acción transcurre en una escuela secundaria.
pixieauthoress's review against another edition
4.0
My review at age 11:
"Odd/freaky sometimes, but good."
I was SO scared by this book when I first read it. I was used to generic, Point Horror-style horror, so a decent book was an enigma for me. I remember sitting in the garden with my family while reading this, in the blazing sun, and still being scared that some creepy, dead-but-undead child was hiding behind me. And the cover! I hated looking at the cover; super creepy! Even six years on, I can still remember loads of details about this book - it had a big effect on me! Recommended to young thriller fans.
"Odd/freaky sometimes, but good."
I was SO scared by this book when I first read it. I was used to generic, Point Horror-style horror, so a decent book was an enigma for me. I remember sitting in the garden with my family while reading this, in the blazing sun, and still being scared that some creepy, dead-but-undead child was hiding behind me. And the cover! I hated looking at the cover; super creepy! Even six years on, I can still remember loads of details about this book - it had a big effect on me! Recommended to young thriller fans.
georgia_3456's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book. I read it over and over again. It catches me up in it's scary stories.
helenabarron's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5