Reviews with content warning for Suicide - You Are Not Alone

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

You Are Not Alone by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks

59 reviews

clarigold's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

You’re not alone is about our protagonist Shay, who witnesses a woman commit suicide. This causes her to feel a lot of guilt; so she looks up this woman and finds information for her memorial. She decided to attend to pay her respects, and in going she meets the woman's friends, two of whom were very inviting (Moore sisters). Shay has a lonely life, no friends, no job, and now no home; so she starts to gravitate towards the sisters looking for a group she can belong to; but little does she know that the sisters have other reasons for wanting her around.

This writing style has multiple POVS, is a dual timeline, and is split into Parts. At the beginning of Shay’s Chapters there’s random facts which I really loved, andt it also gives you an idea of what the chapter is going to be about. You also get Amanda’s POV, so you can see the days leading up to her death, which I loved. You get back stories of the women that are in this friend group, so you see how they all know each other, you get a sense of their character, and what they all have in common. You don’t need to, but I would probably recommend taking small notes on who the women are with their back stories, because there are a handful of characters which could get confusing.

I found it a little annoying that Shay became so invested/obsessed with the woman who died (Amanda). I understand feeling guilty and constantly thinking about it, but to search her up on the internet, or at least as thoroughly as she did was unrealistic for me. Other than this small flaw, it was really fun to see this story unravel. I loved the characters, they were all distinguishable. The resolution left me feeling discontent, but the book itself actually ended really well. It had a heartfelt ending, and this is what always does it for me. 5 stars!

Tags: obsession, blackmail, revenge, manipulation, group of women

Warnings: suicide, rape attempts, sexual assault

Content Warnings

pookiee's review against another edition

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mysterious 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? Yes

Hendricks and Pekkanen’s writing flows pretty well but it’s exhausting to be stuck in the perspectives of someone so obnoxiously naïve (dumb), and another whose only trait is being manipulative.

also don’t feel bad for that mf

Content Warnings

riannacat's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

Content Warnings

andatherrin's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

wispwill's review against another edition

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mysterious sad 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

1.5

The mysterious plot of the book wasn't bad, but the characters and writing are flat as pancakes. The references also feel weirdly out of data, but this book was only written two years ago? Twists were pretty obvious, which isn't a deal breaker because it means they were well set up, but I had zero investment in what was happening because the characters are sooooooo boooooooring.

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bibliophileroxy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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onemorepagecrew's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

You are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was a grippy, fast-paced read. I have been on a thriller streak lately and looking for plotlines that hold a tense atmosphere – this book did the trick.

I would recommend going into this knowing as little as possible. The story centers on a woman, Shay, who is befriended by two sisters who have the life Shay desires. They become quick friends and it’s easy for Shay to say “yes” to their advice and help. When things begin to seem a little off and Shay starts to pay closer attention, the suspense takes off.

I listened on audio and would recommend that format. The twists were not impossible to see coming, but they weren’t crystal clear either and I had fun trying to piece it all together.

Content warnings: Suicide, Sexual assault, Murder, Stalking, Gaslighting

Content Warnings