wrappingpaper's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My first Holly Jackson read! Truthfully, I found the first half of the book quite slow - it felt like not much was happening. And then, all at once, there was so many plot twists in the last 50 pages or so.
I liked the characters (some of them anyway) and it’s a shame (spoiler) Red and Arthur didn’t get to be together. Or maybe they did - who knows? We don’t really find out.
Either way, it was a pretty intense book - there was more death than I expected considering it’s a ya thriller. I didn’t mind tho. I liked the writing - not my favourite style ever, but I might read more of Holly’s books someday :) would recommend.
I liked the characters (some of them anyway) and it’s a shame (spoiler) Red and Arthur didn’t get to be together. Or maybe they did - who knows? We don’t really find out.
Either way, it was a pretty intense book - there was more death than I expected considering it’s a ya thriller. I didn’t mind tho. I liked the writing - not my favourite style ever, but I might read more of Holly’s books someday :) would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Police brutality
Minor: Vomit
librarymouse's review
5.0
I came into this book understanding it to be a thriller. I finished it in tears. This book is a thriller with the most tender human aspects, and shows the sheer variety of reactions people can have to life threatening situations.
Red and her lack of trust in her own memory makes for very interesting narration.
Holly Jackson has a wonderfully immersion way of telling a story. I didn't want to put the book down.
Red's healing moment as she's on the brink of death ending with "...but mom stayed with her, right here in her hand. At the end of all things, mom stayed and so did the stars." had tears rolling down my cheeks.
Having the woman who stood in to be a mom to Red be the person who killed her mom is somewhat expected, but the twist was very well done in this book.
Overall, this is a fantastic book with terrifyingly round characters, fun tropes, and fun twists on tropes.
Red and her lack of trust in her own memory makes for very interesting narration.
Holly Jackson has a wonderfully immersion way of telling a story. I didn't want to put the book down.
Spoiler
I hated Oliver and I'm glad he's dead. He's so well written. If someone I love was dating someone like him, I'd do everything in my power to remove them from that situation, up to and including doing physical harm to him. The whole family deserved to be knocked down a peg, possibly with the exception of Maddie. I'm glad she's the only one of them to survive. The first read through, I thought the cop shot him, not Arthur's brother. The w iting does a great job capturing the confusion of the situation. Red running at the cop to keep another version of herself being made makes for fantastic full circle character development.Red's healing moment as she's on the brink of death ending with "...but mom stayed with her, right here in her hand. At the end of all things, mom stayed and so did the stars." had tears rolling down my cheeks.
Having the woman who stood in to be a mom to Red be the person who killed her mom is somewhat expected, but the twist was very well done in this book.
Overall, this is a fantastic book with terrifyingly round characters, fun tropes, and fun twists on tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Car accident, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
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