Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

21 reviews

abernathy_33's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Fatphobia

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Eating disorder

jve's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.75

To be honest, I thought The Girl on the Train was over-hyped and this novel felt similar. I found it tedious to read over and over again how much her female MCs are stuck in self-pity.
Having each character narrate their own chapters made the story especially confusing in the beginning, when you had no idea who they were. It was too many voices trying to tell the story. The ending also was not surprising. The whole book just fell flat for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

em_gauts's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

cozybritt's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a dollar coaster of a mystery/thriller. One of those where you don't know what's real or true till the very end. It was very good! But could also be very triggering. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

courtneykatzmeyer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Murder

cassiereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

mr_cain's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

I only docked .25 of a star because the pacing was so slow in the exposition. I understand she's establishing a whole host of characters and I do appreciate it, but it's a book you have to power through the first part of. 

This book genuinely kept me guessing. I did suspect the real culprit several times, but I waffled often. Hawkins does a great job supplying motive and details for each of the suspects without it feeling like a painfully deliberate red herring. 

Hawkins also makes the characters each their own and her style is distinct for each chapter in a different POV (i.e. Helen, Jules, + Sean's chapters all feel genuine vs. the same style with different names as many POV switching books seem to do). She provides a cast of characters who are complex and feel so real. Not every character is deeply complicated but they all have their own established psyches which I loved. 

I can easily call myself a Paula Hawkins fan after this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood

Minor: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, and Vomit

arabellaahelgason's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Rape, Suicide, and Murder

brenxbee's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Fatphobia and Homophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty and Dementia

unboxedjack's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death