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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Outing, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Car accident
atalea's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol
duckydarlingg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
kaylanicholsmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The writing style that this author has is just something that really works for me. I have loved it every time. In this particular book, I feel like the writing was such a strong element because for the majority of the story, nothing superb was happening. I didn't feel like there were any major twists, any crazy plot point, nothing super jaw dropping taking place. However, I love a story that involves the unraveling lives of the super rich and elite. They always have skeletons in their closets and I love finding out what those skeletons are. This is where the author shines. I was so captivated just by learning all the shady shit that these uber rich and successful people were hiding up their sleeves for the past decade that I could have cared less if there was any impactful twists or reveals.
Luckily, the ending really nailed it for me. I don't think the ending reveal was anything that would be mind blowing for the typical thriller reader but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I have to say that the very final twist was so satisfying for me - I think Jessica was such a subtly brutal character and I was obsessed with the ending that she got. On the other hand, there is a male character in this book that is just reprehensible and I had him pegged from the first moment he showed up on the page. I really enjoyed the author's commentary on shitty men in positions of power and the things they do and think that they can get away with. This character's chapter was so unsettling to read and I hate knowing that there are men out there, on a daily basis, thinking these things about women. Gross.
This wasn't a new all time favorite, hence the 4.5 star rating, but I still loved it. So good.
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
zenbirdie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Gaslighting and Sexual harassment
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
jessiejonesbentley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
maregred'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Outing, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
clairew97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
cady_sass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism