thebasiccritic's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not really sure what to say about this book- I've got mixed emotions.
So, I liked the story line, but I wasn't impressed with the style of writing. I was always torn between whether to keep reading it or to just not finish it, which is why it took me forever to complete it.
I think if you like a sort of death/mystery genre, go ahead and check this one out.
So, I liked the story line, but I wasn't impressed with the style of writing. I was always torn between whether to keep reading it or to just not finish it, which is why it took me forever to complete it.
I think if you like a sort of death/mystery genre, go ahead and check this one out.
allo_leo's review against another edition
4.0
I was not expecting much when I first picked up this book. All I wanted was to expend my horizons, and read a classic that didn't originate from England, France or America (granted, australian's literature might not be drastically different from the aforementioned countries, but still). The reviews I found online made me scared I would find this novel boring and hard to finish. I'm glad to say that it was not the case. On the contrary, it was difficult to put the book down! The hope of perhaps gathering little crumbs of information regarding the disappearance of the girls kept me interested in the story until the end. Some people stated that their main problem was the lack of closure; the utter darkness in which the reader is left even after they finish the last page. "Wait, we don't actually get to know what happened to those girls?" I think that any explanation would ruin the power of the mystery created by Lindsay, not to mentioned that (like a lot of readers pointed out) the book is not so much a thriller about a disappearance (who did it? Why?), and more about the effect this kind of event has on the rest of the characters.
Unrelated, but the whole Sara situation was so incredibly pathetic, it made me want to cry. Her story deeply marked me, and I still think about it.
Unrelated, but the whole Sara situation was so incredibly pathetic, it made me want to cry. Her story deeply marked me, and I still think about it.
pipbiz's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Death, and Blood
Minor: Racial slurs
embo_'s review against another edition
I didn't finish this BC I forgot to renew it on my library app - but I actually wasn't enjoying it anyway. I was expecting an exciting mystery and instead it's very boring and sadly didn't engage me.
Spoiler
boarding school life post disappearance of some students.charadreemurrs's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ceratopsians's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
3.5
cammxc's review against another edition
5.0
I love wilderness mysteries so this was so fun to read. The novel features some of the best and eeriest prose I have ever read. Fabulously creepy, it evokes such a dark and mysterious atmosphere that perfectly captures the power of the wilderness over human imagination. I was concerned that after so much suspense the ending would be a cop out, but it turned out to be the best part.
theshiftyshadow's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is all atmosphere, minimal plot. And I loved it.
I think I knew coming into this what the outcome would be, so I was prepared for that and wasn't disappointed.
I was initially curious about how the recent-ish mini series is like 5 or 6 hours long, but there's so many blank spaces with this story that someone clearly had a field day filling those blanks in.
I think I knew coming into this what the outcome would be, so I was prepared for that and wasn't disappointed.
I was initially curious about how the recent-ish mini series is like 5 or 6 hours long, but there's so many blank spaces with this story that someone clearly had a field day filling those blanks in.
gillians88's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
doubledemin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
2.5