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manderley's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-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
3.0
amyboughner's review against another edition
2.0
Nothing happened for a long time and when something did happen it didn't make any sense at all
cammieo's review against another edition
1.0
Good Lord that was a boring book. I had to force myself to finish it. The title......made zero sense. Pretty sure they did not "do" anything in the dark. Total snooze fest.
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
3.0
There were multiple story lines and points of view, but they were easy to follow.
I am probably going to have trouble sleeping tonight, as I did not realize that the tone of the story would become so disturbing near the end.
Based on how events played out during the development of the book, the characters' actions did not seem out of line. I just wasn't expecting events to ratchet to such a disturbing degree.
Personalities, nature versus nurture, and how people behave when their dreams turn out to be something they didn't plan on all played a hand in this story.
If you're looking for upbeat, happy, rainbow endings, this is not the book for you.
If you can handle a book that will make you ask questions about human behavior, give this a try. It deserves a careful reading, and even after that, you will still ponder "why" things spiraled as they did.
I am probably going to have trouble sleeping tonight, as I did not realize that the tone of the story would become so disturbing near the end.
Based on how events played out during the development of the book, the characters' actions did not seem out of line. I just wasn't expecting events to ratchet to such a disturbing degree.
Personalities, nature versus nurture, and how people behave when their dreams turn out to be something they didn't plan on all played a hand in this story.
If you're looking for upbeat, happy, rainbow endings, this is not the book for you.
If you can handle a book that will make you ask questions about human behavior, give this a try. It deserves a careful reading, and even after that, you will still ponder "why" things spiraled as they did.
lfagundes's review against another edition
4.0
Very good writing; VERY disturbing climax. Parents, don't neglect your kids, ok? jeez.
alstrath's review
3.0
A two and a half star rating. I felt that the story that one read, wasn't the one that ended. I battled to understand the real "connection" between the girls and why they did what they did. Ultimately a disappointing read.
sdriscoll05's review against another edition
3.0
Listen. If you want to shock me, shock me. I'm all for darkness and terrible things happening. Bring it on. What I don't like it, is shock endings that come out of now where. That's cheating. While there were certainly pieces of writing that shone in this piece, particularly the ending, it doesn't make up for the confused mess of a book that the author ended up writing. I think I would be less harsh if all the bigwigs hadn't pooped about it so much and what an incredible read it was.
The fact is, it was muddled. And not loveably muddled. It was muddled to the point that the reader no longer wants to struggle with the story. I get that the point of this novel is that there's a dark side to childhood. And I think the author executed the ending flawlessly. What doesn't make sense to me however, is what the 200 pages leading up to the ending stood for? Or why they were there? I have to assume that this came out of a short story, or that the author had the ending of the book in mind first before she began writing, because the beginning writing doesn't compare to the last five pages. I'd like to see the story that does.
The fact is, it was muddled. And not loveably muddled. It was muddled to the point that the reader no longer wants to struggle with the story. I get that the point of this novel is that there's a dark side to childhood. And I think the author executed the ending flawlessly. What doesn't make sense to me however, is what the 200 pages leading up to the ending stood for? Or why they were there? I have to assume that this came out of a short story, or that the author had the ending of the book in mind first before she began writing, because the beginning writing doesn't compare to the last five pages. I'd like to see the story that does.
akuhlma03's review
2.0
This book left me with no closure and I found myself basically uninterested throughout reading it. The ending was quite a shock, but made no sense to me personally. I got this from the library as a hot copy and I am not sure what made it so hot. Disappointed overall.