pleasexanny's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
katijjs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
s_choate02's review against another edition
5.0
This book was scary and emotional, in a real-life way. The only thing that would have made it better is if I had read it in one sitting uninterrupted to let the suspense build. I read this around the time that I was watching a show with a similar scenario, so I think that made the book even more potent to me.
ashleywolff333's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
bananna_cupcake's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
jencyr1002's review against another edition
I don’t think I can rate this book. It was not an easy read. Not because of the writing, the writing was fine. It was because of the content. I knew what this book was about going into it, and I still chose to read it. I just don’t think a book of this subject should be rated. At least, that’s how I feel. There are ratings out there. I flew through this book as I kept needing to know what was going to happen next. I just don’t feel comfortable giving it a rating.
ttbaby159's review against another edition
4.0
I managed to finish this book in a single day which I've never done before. This book had me in my feels and I felt all the stages of grief. I had anxiety the whole time and it didn't take long until the action started so it was a slow start which I can appreciate. I can tell this book was written with care and didn't feel exploitative, over the top or insensitive. The mental images that I got while reading made me on the verge of tears imagining that this is not fiction, this happens in real life; people have to go through this same experience and my heart yearns for this whole can relate to the book in any capacity. This book showcased these characters so well and I was rooting for all of them to have a positive outcome despite the events they were facing. Overall, this book is a 4.1/5 in my eyes.
im_eebee's review against another edition
2.0
The story is important, but it still needs to be written well. There were more flashbacks than anything else and it ruined the pace for me. The writing of the shooting itself was well done an really makes you feel anxious, but then it immediately ruins the momentum by taking us to a completely different moment with a completely different feel. It was fine at first, but after a while the scenes themselves got repetitive. I started asking myself “what did we learn in this scene that we didn’t already know?” And towards the end I couldn’t think of anything. I also felt like the Claire perspective didn’t need to be there at all, and I found myself skipping her chapters. That’s a whole 1/4th of the book. And lastly the hero complex each of these characters has is so unrealistic. Not that a high school student wouldn’t try to protect their classmates, but breaking into the auditorium with an active shooter and putting everyone’s life on the line? Running up to a shooter in the hallways (which was totally not needed in the situation at hand) and so many more moments that just didn’t make sense. It was a good attempt at a sensitive topic, but in my opinion it fell a little flat