rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
'The Turn of the Key' by Ruth Ware is a thriller with an interesting premise but that I ultimately wanted more from.
The story is told through a letter that the protagonist, Rowan, is writing to her barrister from jail. A girl in her care has died and the crime has been pinned on her. But Rowan has a story to tell that she believes will exonerate her.
I really liked that this story was told through letters though this was really only relevant in the beginning and ending as the majority of this narrative is one giant letter that takes up 95% of the book and thus feels more like simple 1st person narration.
Ware does a good job of injecting the creepier elements of the story so that the reader questions what is really happening right alongside Rowan. This creeping sense of dread grows slowly as the narrative progresses. I do think that a little bit more could have been done with the atmosphere and it did leave me with questions based on a side story that was touched on but never fully resolved. It wasn't crucial to the main plot but I would have liked a bit more closure on that part. The story also hints at Rowan's fate but doesn't fully spell it out without enough details for me to be sure what happened.
The ultimate truth of the story as it came out was a bit disappointing and I had hoped for more though that is definitely based on my personal preferences for thriller stories. I also don't love Rowan as a character and found her ultimately fairly unlikable and thus hard to root for.
Though I would be interested to read another book by Ware since I think she does a good job with atmosphere, I would go into it with hesitations since this story wasn't as gripping as I would have hoped for.
The story is told through a letter that the protagonist, Rowan, is writing to her barrister from jail. A girl in her care has died and the crime has been pinned on her. But Rowan has a story to tell that she believes will exonerate her.
I really liked that this story was told through letters though this was really only relevant in the beginning and ending as the majority of this narrative is one giant letter that takes up 95% of the book and thus feels more like simple 1st person narration.
Ware does a good job of injecting the creepier elements of the story so that the reader questions what is really happening right alongside Rowan. This creeping sense of dread grows slowly as the narrative progresses. I do think that a little bit more could have been done with the atmosphere and it did leave me with questions based on a side story that was touched on but never fully resolved. It wasn't crucial to the main plot but I would have liked a bit more closure on that part. The story also hints at Rowan's fate but doesn't fully spell it out without enough details for me to be sure what happened.
The ultimate truth of the story as it came out was a bit disappointing and I had hoped for more though that is definitely based on my personal preferences for thriller stories. I also don't love Rowan as a character and found her ultimately fairly unlikable and thus hard to root for.
Though I would be interested to read another book by Ware since I think she does a good job with atmosphere, I would go into it with hesitations since this story wasn't as gripping as I would have hoped for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Infidelity
ssarahbbeth's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Minor: Incest and Sexual harassment
haleybre's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Child death, Death, and Infidelity
hannas_ink_prints's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Koukuttava ja välillä kylmiäväreitä aiheuttava teos, jossa oli myös surullisia piirteitä. Välillä tuntui että juonta oli turhasti pitkitetty ja tarina haahuili, mutta parhaimmillaan hyytävä thrilleri, joka sitou lukijansa äärelleen. Kompleksinen päähahmo oli myös plussaa, sillä Rowan oli mukava piristys aina kaikkien puhtoisten ja oikeudenmukaisten sankaritarien jälkeen. Hänen hahmonsa tuntuu aidolta vaikka ajoittain turhankin naivilta, siihen nähden kuinka kokenut hoitaja tämä muka on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Death, Classism, and Child death
mouwuol's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death
sparetimebibliophile's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
5.0
This was a thrilling read and more than once my heart was racing. It’s been a while since that’s happened to me with a thriller! I loved the twist in this and thought it was beautifully done, although I felt the ending was very abrupt. It leaves you with an open question at the end that will likely haunt me for a while!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Alcohol and Blood
Minor: Sexual content
sharebear431's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, Child death, Death, and Sexual harassment
indigof0x's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Grief, and Infidelity
katyannreads's review against another edition
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, and Infidelity
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
Holy shit! So many twists and turns I did not anticipate. I like that the book is written in a series of letters and that the narrator is not necessarily reliable. This book definitely made me a bit jumpy and the ending brought tears to my eyes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence