Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

39 reviews

mj_86's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book made me so uncomfortable in the worst way. Roach gave me the ick. 
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rkatw's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I think the ruminations on true crime were really interesting. 
Was sucked in immediately and finished reading in less than 24 hours. Thought the dual narrative was good, even though I definitely preferred one character over another, helped to really highlight their contrast and they key misunderstandings Roach has about Laura. 
Was so tense as I reached the book's conclusion. 
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abi_g_mac's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.75

Very unsettling and tense. Switching the POV between the two characters was done really effectively, increasing the suspense throughout the book and exploring two very opposing perspectives on true crime. 
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scarlettreadsbooks's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.5

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nightyvaqs's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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alanakuni's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

3.0

there were moments where i thought this book was going to be really good but in the end it fell flat. it felt like it was building up to something bigger that just never came to fruition and made me question the point of the plot. of course there is purpose in the story but i think it could have been executed better or added other parts to provoke meaning. 
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whattaylorreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense 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

4.25

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emilypalah's review against another edition

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

2.5

Wasn’t one of my favourites, the descriptive writing was very well thought out but the characters irked me and it felt like a bit of a chore to finish…did keep me feeling uneasy though which was probably the author’s intent! I just would rather not feel on edge on top of wanting to just finish the book just to finish it. 
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teatunesandtales's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

I couldn't put this book down, nor get it out of my head. It's gruesome and raw and I'm unnerved by the ending. 
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withlivjones's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A skin-crawling, chilling book about obsession. We follow our two main characters, booksellers Laura and Roach, navigate the autumn-winter months in a struggling bookstore, as Roach’s interest in true crime causes her to be drawn to Laura with an intensity that will doom them both. 

Most of this book is very slow-paced, while Slater takes the time to explore both Roach’s and Laura’s characters in great detail. Both characters are deeply flawed in different ways, and I really enjoyed reading about them in a “I don’t like what’s going on and I’m low-key disgusted but I can’t look away” way. There were definitely some parts that dragged, and some that felt a bit repetitive, but the plot really picks up in the last third or so as Roach’s obsession with Laura causes both characters’ mental states to spiral rapidly, and from then I could not put it down! And the ending made my stomach DROP. 

I also really enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of bookselling in this book - the stuff that goes on behind the scenes in a bookshop is really interesting to me, and it seems that Slater knows her stuff. 
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