mirificmoxie's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Domestic abuse
brookey8888's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was fine. The first 90% was honestly so boring and I felt like there was POVs that were unnecessary. It made sense in the end but I felt like it wasn’t needed. The ending was actually really good and kind of creepy but like that’s what made it a three star instead of a two. Nothing was really shocking or anything. I would recommend to probably skip this unless it sounds interesting. Also no games were played.
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
conspystery's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.75
First: all my thanks to Netgalley, Jen Williams, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advance audiobook copy of Games for Dead Girls in exchange for an honest review!
Games for Dead Girls is a pretty solid thriller/mystery. I have a few complaints with character depth, but other than that, I really enjoyed this book-- I listened to the audiobook version, which was amazing, over the course of about half a week, completely enthralled. I found myself pushing to stay up later so I could see where it was going.
I think one of the things that makes this book memorable for me is its setting. The braided storylines, spanning three different eras but largely contained to the same geographical location, all add layers of atmosphere to this quiet (almost TOO quiet) seaside town, and it’s just such a treat to explore. The world felt distinctly different between the three perspectives, but reasonably so; rather than feeling like three disjointed settings, it feels like the same place as viewed through vastly different lenses, which is exactly what I think the goal was here. It works really well. The town feels populated, and the various plots, while some of the details of the villains’ actions are a bit far out there, feel plausible to the extent that they need to. Without spoiling too much, I just love the guilty unease that leaches through the atmosphere and into the characters, and how differently it presents for all of them.
I also really liked the plot hook. I like how the story opens, puts you right in the middle of things, and basically explains the aftermath of a mystery-- you, as the reader, are left to piece together its history rather than watching it unfold in real time, so it really feels like a tragedy in the best way. The strongest plot beats in this book were definitely those which were rooted in the past. I really enjoyed how both of the “past” storylines influenced the “present” one, how tangibly that effect could be felt even before the pieces are totally put together. The first major plot twist,
Spoiler
however slowly it arrived, was genuinely chilling to me in the most satisfying way because of that interconnection. I love how it recontextualizes the story and its narrator.The character development in this book was pretty much the only thing I had a problem with. I think the book would definitely have benefited from a little more character complexity through its end.
Spoiler
It starts off super strongly, and I like how it slowly subverts itself; neither Charlie nor Emily are at all what they seem, and the subtle way their character arcs curdle and then rot into full on horror is a LOT of fun to read, especially in the context of the plot twist I mentioned earlier. My gripes are how that moral complexity was resolved. By the end of the book, both main characters felt like they’d lost a lot of depth. That moral complexity was cast aside to tie up the story in a neat little bow-- the romance with Charlie’s character and the man from the town definitely did not help in that regard. Her gray morality was eased a little too much for me to find it satisfying. Emily was the same way. Even the other villains felt flat by the end, though it was a bit more fitting for them to be that considering EVERYTHING about them. So creepy it was almost totally far-fetched… almost. Works for them, but not for Emily and Charlie.Overall, though, I really liked Games For Dead Girls. The atmosphere was just the right amount of creepy, the plot was engaging, and the characters were fun to read despite their pitfalls in the end.
Spoiler
I enjoyed how clever the plot twist in the middle of the book was from a literary standpoint, and I thought the fact that this story was self-aware of how it was rooted in humanity’s ills rather than the supernatural added a lot of satisfaction to its narrative.Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Spoiler
A major plot point in this book revolves around what I think is meant to be interpreted as a hallucination, possibly due to PTSD or some kind of psychosis.bookedbymadeline's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
It took me about 50 pages to get into it due to the slow start but after the 50 page mark I was completely immersed! I finished in two days, staying up late and not wanting to put it down.
It took me about 50 pages to get into it due to the slow start but after the 50 page mark I was completely immersed! I finished in two days, staying up late and not wanting to put it down.
I enjoyed the multiple timelines and switching POVs. I also loved the unreliable narrator, one of my fave tropes in horror/mystery novels! The characters were complex and well developed as well. The setting and writing was atmospheric and creepy; I always enjoy a good ghost story or local legend. I did predict one of the major plot twists very early on but one or two of the twists managed to shock me!
Overall a captivating and fantastic horror/mystery novel which I really enjoyed! The story kind of gave me the vibes of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn so I’d recommend if you enjoy her work or you enjoy reading about ghost stories/urban legends 👻
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Child death, and Body horror
Moderate: Blood and Bullying
Minor: Kidnapping
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