Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Daughters of Block Island

Postmodern Scream-esque take on the gothic horror genre. Does really well with the mystery and multiple POV at the beginning, but as the information gets slowly revealed it's harder to stick the landing. The ending as a result feels very anticlimactic.

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cmbohn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

3.5

Perfect read for a cold stormy night.

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jayinbee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I was really in the mood for something different to dive into and this fit the bill quite nicely. A gothic novel, murder mystery, family drama, on a remote little island? Sounds good to me. And it was. I liked getting both sisters points of view. I hated the tragedy of them never getting to meet. I enjoyed the pace and the writing style. Some of the plots were a bit predictable but the suspense in how they unfolded definitely made up for it.

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lulubeth's review

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mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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theresa_ac's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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? No

4.75

Daughters of Block Island started slower than I usually prefer, but once I got into it I could not put it down. Every time I thought I had something figured out, Carmen threw another loop into the mix, keeping me hooked. It's made even better by the afterword, in which Carmen details how the book got here. Her writing process was relatable, and her dogged dedication to seeing this book through only added to the value of it. I hope it will one day be considered a contemporary gothic horror classic.

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stephaniezd's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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? Yes

4.5

Superb storytelling. Very dark and twisty and the very last twist caught me off guard. Excellent book!

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cupcakes_and_coffee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

It’s so fun reading about old historic, creepy houses! A gothic novel where the MCs felt like they were in their own gothic novel. It was a nod to the old classics, but I started to wish the author would ease up on all the reminders. I felt like the story was exciting and in some ways new but also had so many cliches within - raining all the time, ghosts, old historic, tunnels, etc. But I think was on purpose? A little over the top sometimes but I kind of loved that aspect. It felt a bit tongue in cheek. The story was nuanced and also dealt with other issues such as addiction and recovery. (First Reads Nov 2023)

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lilhappyhermit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Small towns always have some secrets, but Block Island has troves of them. Having both Blake and Thalia’s POV/insight on the events that unfold really added an extra element of depth to the overall story. You see how, while they may not have known about each other until recently and were not raised together, there are certain elements that overlap in their overall character and back story. This aspect, mixed with the small town residents that aren’t up for sharing any secrets (whether that be to protect themselves or out of fear), had me dissecting every moment of this book hoping to figure out what was going to happen next. This gothic mystery was filled with so many twists and turns, I enjoyed every minute of this audio book.

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