Reviews with content warning for Torture - Five Survive

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

esmee_meinen's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

wow, just wow. I want to say that it is all I've got to say but that doesn't do this book justice.

this is the first thriller/mystery book I've read. I've read 2 romance books before this to start my book journey. went to the bookstore to find a new one but there weren't any I wanted, say I just let my eyes float over the other books and it fell on this one. and thank the fucking lord it did.
I did not only bawl my eyes out at the mystery that unraveled, and thought that was insanely good. but the way Holly Jackson writes is even more mind blowing. Red (main character (+no spoilers!)) was the centere of the book. so we followed her but that wasn't that we just followed her, no we FOLLOWED her. it was so realistic.
in real live, when something big happens, something tense for example, you think about that but somehow you also have some stupid thoughts you shouldn't be thinking of at that moment. and you curse yourself for it, thinking you're selfish for not keeping your mind at what it should be at. Holly captured this PERFECT. never ever read anything like that and never thought I would (I know this is the third book I have read but still) it was too unique for words honestly.

READ IT.
YES OR NO?

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gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The Details:
Narrated by Emma Galvin
Unabridged

This was super entertainment. I definitely didn't read this in 8 hours, as suggested, and it took me a few chapters to fully get into it, but it was riveting.

I was so shocked when it got more violent than I was expecting it too, but it was realistic in that way and I enjoyed that.

I thought the real reason seemed less of an incentive for the hostage situation than the first secret that was revealed. However, the big reveal had so many more little details that threaded together to make a really solid and satisfying conclusion to the mysteries.

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chloerachel's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I will admit the first half of this novel was boring, and I found myself disappointed that the author of a series that I love so much had put out something like that. But I pushed through and wow I am glad I did. It takes a little bit but the novel really does take off. And all that stuff in the first half that isn't thrilling all comes back and makes for the most satisfying climax and resolution. The novel really does a fantastic job of making everything you felt like you were wasting your time reading in the beginning intentional. It's no AGGGTM, but what you end up with is a thrilling ending and a few questions.

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itsmeaemma's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

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emmieanna's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

I really thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this book right at the start but I persevered and wow I’m so glad I did. The pacing and style is the complete opposite of what I usually opt for, with heaps of inner monologuing and unresolved trauma carrying through the actions of the leading cast. The further I got through, however, the more invested I became. It was very excited to watch the clues slowly being dropped into my lap without a clear way to piece them together. I became suspicious of everyone and everything, as if I were with them in that RV. The amount of times Holly Jackson made me doubt my intuition proves the calibre of her writing.

Spoiler

Up until the last five minutes of this audio book, I thought I was going to hate the conclusion. I had been so invested and I could see how it was going to end. Until the massive U-turn. I thought everyone got what they deserved in the end except Don and Joyce :( the only reason this wasn’t higher rated was because I would have loved to see Catherine and Oliver have to face their crimes.

Spoiler

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binreads's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious 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

4.75

As someone who ADORED the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series (Pip is my GIRL), I was very excited to read this book and went in with high expectations. And let me say, it did not disappoint!

I read this so fast. I think it being set in one place for the whole book, along with the suspense, made it so I didn't want to put the book down! I also haven't read a tense mystery like this in awhile, so it was a great way to get back into it.

I do think the ending could've been more fleshed out, it felt slightly rushed compared to everything else. But damn, these characters were complex and mysterious.

I know my girl Holly Jackson, and she is good with twists. So from the jump, I was trying to guess who was the one in on it.

Giving away the ending so spoilers ahead!

Spoiler

Right away, I narrowed it down to Reyna, Red and Arthur. Reyna because she was driving, Red because she was the main character for a reason and Arthur because if you paid attention, when the GPS went out he said something along the lines of having the route up from when he was directing Red. So when the sniper said 'they were meant to be there', I knew it had to be one of them, most likely Arthur, which I was right about!!! When it was confirmed when he broke the walkie talkie I GASPED.

I think the biggest shock was how quickly Olivier turned on everyone. Even his own sister!!! He was all about self preservation and it was scary to see how much he was spiraling. I really thought he was gonna kill someone in the end, but he got what he deserved.

Arthur was extremely complicated...I think after Don and Joyce were killed he should've come clean right then and there. I didn't really care for his little note at the end about killing Catherine, wanting to meet with Red one last time. I feel like if he got killed off it may have been more impactful? Being that he really did have feelings for Red, didn't want to go into this family business, him apologizing and dying would've felt fitting.

I wish we got more time with Catherine Lavoy! Maybe a switched perspective or something because how could she kill her own best friend!?!? I would have loved to see what led her down that path of lies and crime. Poor Maddy.

Red mentions that curtain pattern that reminds her of something the whole book and we never figure out what it looked like!!

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