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mornshadow's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
katutt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Blood
cevans's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Mental illness
spinstah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book has a really interesting structure that was a little confusing at first but is not for everyone. I found the mystery to be interesting but I was disappointed by the ending, which felt rushed. Things escalate quickly in the last third of the book and it felt a little like the author wasn’t sure what to do with the premise they’d set up without making it twice as long.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, and Gaslighting
becandbooks's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Gentill has written a lot of her author journey into the book, with a main character that is exploring a style of writing completely beyond her popular multi-novel mystery series, drawing parallels with her own Rowland Sinclair. And it pays off. The nature of writer exploration within this book is genuine and interesting. But that is clearly not the highlight of this book.
Following the stunning and unique iteration of The Woman in the Library, Gentill wraps readers up in another unreliable, mind-spinning and unforgettable mystery tale. Meta elements, while they may confuse some, drag readers beyond the standard writer-creates-story format, instead warping the traditional author experience. This is a prime example of brilliant meta-fiction as book characters and authors blend, becoming irrevocably intertwined. The duet of "main characters" are wildly different, with literary and mystery genres contrasting brilliantly within a single book cover. This is a perfect book for readers who just want something completely different to their typical crime or mystery story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Detailed trigger warnings: adultery, miscarriage, grief and loss, murder, blood depiction, physical assault, home invasion, nonconsensual hospitalisationabbiechron's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Forced institutionalization