Reviews

Goodwood by Holly Throsby

Only show reviews with written explanations

ruthie_'s review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

fi293's review

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mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

starness's review

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4.0

A charming small town cosy mystery set in a NSW coastal country town. It’s not a fast read but what I enjoyed was getting to know the many different characters. Set in the 90’s I loved all the little references dotted around, it felt like I was reliving parts of my own childhood, many references making me smile with nostalgia. My only criticism was that there was a host of characters to keep track of and at times I had to really concentrate to remember who was who in the zoo. I did really enjoyed Holly Throsby’s witty observations, so quaintly spot on and so authentically Australian.

essjay2023's review

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1.0

Too many characters doing things of no consequence. Shame, because the writing is good, and the plot decent...the folks in Goodwood are just a bit too blurry, making me turn back the pages to see who was who, and who did what.

hannah_mez's review

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mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

andiamoragazzi's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

bibliobliss_au's review

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3.0

Told from the perspective of teenage Jean, this story reflects on a summer in the small town of Goodwood, where everyone knows each other’s business, and the mystery of two very different residents who disappear a week apart.

The storytelling is done well & the cast of characters interesting but the beginning of the novel was far more suspenseful than the end and I expected more from the ultimate reveal of the mystery. Given the story was told retrospectively, I was disappointed there was no real detail provided on how that summer actually changed the town, which I feel had been hinted at in the opening chapters.

An interesting Aussie read that’s part mystery, part coming-of-age story featuring lots of 90s Australiana feels.