Reviews with content warning for Suicide - She Started It

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

She Started It by Sian Gilbert

227 reviews

homebodynate's review against another edition

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emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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encgolsen's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-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

Annabel, Chloe, Esther and Tanya are surprised to receive an invitation from Poppy, the girl they bullied in their school days, offering a paid vacation on a private island to celebrate her impending nuptials. It soon becomes clear that Poppy has not forgotten their past cruelties, and that each of the four has secrets of her own. A dark and twisty story of revenge that follows familiar tropes, but vividly describes Poppy's torment and its consequences.

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savergano's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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beauty_andherbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

I got this book as my monthly pick for Book of the Month from June 2023 and I’ll admit, it sat on my shelf for way too long.

All I have to say is wow, wow, wow!!!

Former high school friends Annabel, Chloe, Tanya and Esther all randomly receive an invitation from another high school friend of theirs, inviting them to a private island for the celebration of her wedding. They have all been invited to be her bridesmaids. However, none of them can seem to figure out why, because they were never truly friends with her. In fact, they bullied her all throughout high school so why would she want them to be a part of her special day? It was an all-expenses paid trip, so they all decided to go anyway.

I hated all of the girls from the beginning but I felt truly horrible for our main character, Poppy. Girls can truly be so horrible and horrendous to each other. The author captured bullying in a real way, showing us the effects it can have even ten years later.

I couldn’t put the book down, even though I was able to sense the ending coming about halfway through the book. It still shocked me once I got to the end.

I highly recommend this book! 4.5/5 stars.

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jadams89's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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heathermarie08's review

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challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The ending felt rushed.

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cathcasper's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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weekatsie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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? Yes

4.0

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sian Gilbert for sharing this e-arc with me. The following review reflects my honest reading experience.

She Started It by Sian Gilbert is a psychological thriller set at a hen party on a remote, private island - the height of absolute luxury. But from the start, things seem a little odd, as it turns out the guests at this getaway weren't exactly the bride-to-be's closest friends, and in fact, they haven't even seen each other in 10 years. As you may expect, things soon start to turn ugly.....

I was hooked by the premise from the start, and the author does a great job of making the characters deeply unlikeable people but also very intriguing. However, I did find it a little tricky to distinguish between the four main ones, as their voices were a little too similar in my opinion.

I really enjoyed the tropical island location and the action had me completely gripped - I was impressed by the high standard of writing, which really made me feel like I was right in the heart of the story. Although I figured out the twist, it took me a while to do so, and the reveal was satisfying.

Despite the fact that this is a psychological thriller, it also tackles some deeper issues, such as bullying and mental health. It dealt with both sensitively, though I found one element of the bullying backstory rather unbelievable (don't want to give any spoilers, so won't give any more details).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

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jritc13'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? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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hmstumfoll's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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