Reviews with content warning for Grief - In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

51 reviews

meahjones's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

This one had me up until three a.m. reading!! I love a good dark academia murder mystery/thriller, especially with dual timelines, and a narrator that you’re not sure you can trust.

The writing and pace was so perfect for the material. Half of the book is set in current day, during the ten year college reunion of a group of friends at their prestigious North Carolina university. Ten years after one of those friends was murdered, still a cold case. Who did it, and why? That’s just what this homecoming weekend is for finding out. The other half is told in snippets from the past, what happened before and after Heather was killed, who had motive, who was hiding secrets.

Only, everyone was hiding secrets.

To me, the whole book kinda read like the last two episodes of the original Gossip Girl season one, just add more sinister vibes and definitely some Scream vibes. Everyone is a suspect, everyone is hooking up with people they shouldn’t be, everyone is lying to someone they love. Everyone is pretending to be something they’re not.

While I guessed the killer before it was revealed, I still had a lot of fun with this one. The book is full of characters you love to hate, lives you wish you could steal, until someone ends up—as they usually do—dead.

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atalea's review

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dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't live up to my expectations. It had a dark and twisty plot, which I usually enjoy, but the twists were quite mediocre. Although there were multiple twists, they felt overused and unoriginal, making the story predictable.

Despite being marketed as an adult novel, the characters' behaviors and thoughts seemed more suited to a young adult audience. This discrepancy, combined with the lack of depth and relatability in the characters, made it difficult for me to fully engage with the story. The protagonist, Jessica, came across as extremely self-centered and unlikable.

While I did speed through the book because it was easy to read and had some entertaining moments (there's nothing more entertaining than reading about other people's drama), I can't say that I would recommend it. It's often described as a dark academia book, but it's more of a mystery/thriller. In my opinion, there are much better mystery/thriller novels out there that are worth reading.

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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.0

Liked this for a variety of reasons but didn't love it. Really liked the messed up Breakfast Club-esque cast of characters (Coop is my fave and I kept going, in my best Squidward voice, oh God he's hot 😂). Each character was annoying or terrible but like in a good way? Or at least in a way that it was entertaining and kept you invested. Really enjoyed the setting as well and the mystery of who did it.
Overall was okay with the ending. Wrapped nicely enough for me where it didn't feel like it left me hanging.
Def check trigger/content warnings.

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aimicampbell's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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michaelap0511's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

None of the characters in this book is a hero, or a good person for that matter. What I liked the most about the story is that it showed us how we are the victims and the main characters of our own stories and how even when you think you really know someone, there's always a part of them that you will never know.
This book really reminded me of the TV show Pretty Little Liars, in the interpersonal drama it presents and how when you are young, even the trivial things can blow out of proportion. At the same time, it deals with real life tragedies, such as death, murder, suicide, drug dealing, sexual assault, and how even the best of intentions can turn into horrible tragedies.
Some might say it's not a good thriller, but I liked the tension and the pacing of the story, I liked the glimpses into how the group formed, how their friendship blossomed and how it ultimately fell apart.
So, if you're looking for a chilling murder story, perhaps you won't like the book, but if you're interested in personal stories and the dynamics of relationships, tinged with a bit of mystery, I think you'll appreciate the story.

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