xlipkins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Confinement, and Torture
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Trafficking, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Rape
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Trafficking, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Murder, Torture, and Violence
misscarlaxox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Torture, Cancer, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Vomit and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Grief, and Car accident
meeklovestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
We find out who the perpetrator(s) is/are pretty quickly which to me wasn't a surprise. The person revealed themsleves earlier but the main character just didn't pick up on the dialogue.
Spoiler
The part about Lars and Ashley being brother's was unexpected. I'll grant the author that, but having Sandi involved felt ridiculous. She didn't really contribute much to the story. Also I wasn't too surprised that she was involved cuz she was a little too calm for me to believe something wasn' t up.Also, the author has a tendecy to utilize plot points only when they're convenient for the story to either move the plot along or to enhance the stakes rather than having the plot points make sense.
For example, we're told they're in a blizzard, but when the characters would go outside there's rarely any mention of them being affected the gushing winds pulling them back or suffering from frost bite or them shivering at all.
Another example is how the abducted child, Jay, was portrayed. She has Addison's disease and is told that extreme stressful situations can indirectly lead to her death. But this element is only utilize when the author wants to raise the stakes because when Darby ultimately finds her way to Jay she is unbelievably calm. And she remains calm in most of the situations the main character encounters. Not once did she shed tears or cry hysterically. I thought this was deliberate and that the author was gonna reveal some big twist that the girl was in on it too or something, but no, it's just poor writing.
Also, I found the use of racial slurs in this book to be so unnecessary. As well as the potential incest/molestation and animal cruelty. Like we get the main perpetrator is a reprehensible psychotic human being, but I think we established that the moment it's revealed that they sex traffick young girls and don't care. All that other stuff wasn't just unnecessary icing an already drenched cake.
Spoiler
Also we find that Lars suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome which to me, was very unnecessary and I think was only used to establish that he was a "mindless" follower and a victim to his brother's conditioning. But I don't think it was necessary to add things like fetal alcohol syndrome and pancreatic cancer when they literally contributed little to nothing towards the plot.Also, the ending felt kinda ambiguous to me, but maybe I just looked too much into it. I'm glad I read it so I can assuage my curiosity so I know to never pick it up again. Don't think I'll ever read anything this author writes. It just wasn't for me.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, and Trafficking
Minor: Animal cruelty, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Vomit
luv_sk8rboi13's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Medical content, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Vomit
Minor: Grief and Emotional abuse
ellisofia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Body horror, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Police brutality
texas_reznikoff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Rape, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Dementia, Gaslighting, Gore, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, and Torture
lucimolri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Trafficking
kmsander4'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you're anything like me, you start to pick up clues. You think to yourself, ah I know where this book is going. He's good and she's bad and this is how it'll end. And then CRACK, this twist shows up. And then BOOM, here comes another.
I honestly found myself in complete and utter shock right up until the first last paragraph.
A quick and enthralling read. A bit gory, if that's not your thing. But, otherwise, it's nearly impossible to put this one down once you get started! Will recommend over and over!
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Confinement, Child abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death and Torture
Minor: Grief, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Addiction, and Trafficking