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_chelseachelsea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
For most of the book, I had a 4.25-4.5 star rating in mind. I loved the narrator, Claire, who we follow as she struggles to recall the events that led her to be found bloody and concussed on a mountain she doesn’t remember stepping foot on. Claire is smart, but stubborn. She is petty, but she cares. She feels like a real teenager, on the cusp of adulthood and unsure of who she wants to be. When her life is toppled by trauma her response to it feels true, not contrived, and when she starts digging for answers it’s not because she’s a scrappy hometown hero with a sudden burst of detective skills - it’s because she cannot move forward from her own grief without the answers she thinks will resolve it. Again, Thomas demonstrates a real understanding of loss.
The one complaint I have, which ultimately caused me to drop my rating to a 4.0, is that while the finale does give a satisfying resolution to the story - without tying it up too neatly in a way that feels cheap - there are a few “bonus” twists that I felt warranted more attention. One of my biggest pet peeves in a thriller or mystery is when a plot point feels rushed or thrown in at the last minute. By the time these shockers are dropped on us, the pages are drawing to a close. There’s no time to explore the meaning or impact of them. I found it frustrating that by the time we were really getting to learn more about these other characters, our time with them was over.
Outside of that peeve, That Weekend is an excellent novel about guilt, grief, and the burden of secrets - even the ones we must keep to protect ourselves.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
pollyhall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
nicoleherz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Family secrets, muddled memory mystery, how far would you go to escape?
Practically read it in one sitting, a really gripping story. I liked the writing and how the author gave the characters a lot of depth and unseen facets to their personalities and relationships.
Some twists were a little predictable but some of them were a total surprise!! Loved that
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, and Classism