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shirronimo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
2.0
I was really into this until the twist. I wish it had come a little earlier so I didn’t waste so much time on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
librariangeorgia'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have to say, when I started this book, I wasn’t really feeling it. I was half expecting to DNF it before the halfway point because lots of stuff what happening but I couldn’t see how it was all linked up.
However, as I approached the halfway point I raced through the rest of it. I had so many questions that needed answering that it made me want to finish it.
It took me up to about 3/4 of the way through the book to figure out what was going on. I had that sudden moment of realisation where all the little things that had been mentioned now made sense. I clearly didn’t know exactly what was going on as that last reveal really spun the whole plot around to something I was not expecting at all. Literally, my notes said “Oh no, that didn’t go where I expected it to. That’s so twisted.”
I found it to be really weird and creepy, especially the last couple of chapters. However, with the unexpected grossness to the plot, I’m not sure how much I actually enjoyed it.
Out of all of Feeney’s books that I’ve read so far, this is definitely not a favourite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape
shereadsmysteries's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, and Alcohol
sharebear431's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Rape, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death
baphometty'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
acwolfenbarger's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Incest, and Rape
rebecca366's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death, and Kidnapping
mostlyliterate's review against another edition
dark
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Eating disorder, Gore, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy
shazzalovesnovels's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
2.0
It's funny isn't it? Why we do the things we do. Why we become the people we become. I've reached the conclusion that our ambitions are not our own.
I went into this book without reading the synopsis and I found the beginning to be completely riveting. I was pulled in by the events that occurred in the MC's past and I was terrified for her.
I am extremely sympathetic when I read books that contain abuse, especially towards children. It hurts my soul because children are innocent beings who did not ask to come into existence, and when they are hurt, psychologically, emotionally or physically, they can carry it into adulthood which can have serious consequences.
Having said that, this book was a mess after a certain point. The story became convoluted and people's motives were just...ridiculous. I'm still bewildered because some questions have not been answered and there are things I don't understand.
The book did not (at least, to me) reach a proper conclusion. It was feeling like a solid 3.5 stars but that last half bought it down to a 2. I will read more of Feeney's work to get a feel for her as an author.
We are born alone and we die alone, and we're all a little afraid of being forgotten.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Incest
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
gracefulbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I just like so first things first we are following Aimee Sinclair. An up incoming actress who has just landed her first big role and is starting to make a name for herself. But things start to go south when her husband goes missing and her seemingly perfect marriage & life falls to pieces right before the public eye. With a stalker getting too close for comfort and all signs pointing to her as the main suspect for her husband's sudden disappearance, Aimee must tell the truth for once and quit the act.
I honestly, like I don't really know what to say right now. I will say that this book a hundred percent gave me Psycho vibes. At some point in the story, I was able to figure out that the Maggie in current times was not a woman. I figured out pretty quickly to meeting her that she was a man but I wasn't sure if she was John, or Eamonn. So to put it simply I kind of figured that plot twist out early on and I can understand why this books ending and reveal is a bit controversial. I mean it could make it seem as though being trans is a choice and also that those who are trans are violent/murderous/dangerous/rapist. (I don't think Eamonn was actually trans given that he apparently just disguised himself as a woman to taunt and torment Aimee-but a lot of his actions early on made it seem like it aka the plastic surgery, the self-consciousness over his chest, his hands, and plucking of the chin hairs it all made me feel as though he was really a she but that ended up not being the case and I can see that being offensive. So I understand why people do not like this book tbh or find it offensive and it's their right to feel like that honestly.)
I would hope that any person reading this book wouldn't come away with that mindset though-if you've read any of Alice Feeney's previous stories you would know she isn't scared to...go...very very dark. So I wasn't entirely shocked throughout the entirety of the book until it was revealed that her brother married her, and fucked her, and RAPED her. Like um....excuse me? What?
The AMOUNT of revulsion I felt when the rape scene happened was already paramount and I felt so violated but to THEN find out it was her BROTHER her BIOLOGICAL brother who FUCKING DID IT!!! I cannot. I feel so sick right now.
If Feeney's goal was to make me feel sick and awful-she succeeded BIG TIME. Oh my goodness, I was caught off guard by Maggie and Eamonn BEING Ben. Like the number of characters you have that are pretending to be someone else or multiple people is just...wow mindblowing?
But I will say that this was a fast-paced book and as a result, the ending felt rushed and so did the reveal but it also made the book so easy to get sucked into and I loved that but the ending was a no go but also shocked me to no end.
I ALWAYS figure out part of Feeney's twists and then she pulls another one on me out of nowhere and I think it's the main reason I keep coming back to her books honestly even though sometimes they aren't for me. I still find myself getting sucked in somehow and enjoying myself (as much as you can with dark and messed up books).
But with that being said because of how rushed the ending felt I'm unsure of how to rate this book and despite the one reveal really shocking me and making me feel disgusted I genuinely am unsure I really liked the reveal??? So right now I will not give this book a rating and just see how I'm feeling in the morning.
I would hope that any person reading this book wouldn't come away with that mindset though-if you've read any of Alice Feeney's previous stories you would know she isn't scared to...go...very very dark. So I wasn't entirely shocked throughout the entirety of the book until it was revealed that her brother married her, and fucked her, and RAPED her. Like um....excuse me? What?
The AMOUNT of revulsion I felt when the rape scene happened was already paramount and I felt so violated but to THEN find out it was her BROTHER her BIOLOGICAL brother who FUCKING DID IT!!! I cannot. I feel so sick right now.
If Feeney's goal was to make me feel sick and awful-she succeeded BIG TIME. Oh my goodness, I was caught off guard by Maggie and Eamonn BEING Ben. Like the number of characters you have that are pretending to be someone else or multiple people is just...wow mindblowing?
But I will say that this was a fast-paced book and as a result, the ending felt rushed and so did the reveal but it also made the book so easy to get sucked into and I loved that but the ending was a no go but also shocked me to no end.
I ALWAYS figure out part of Feeney's twists and then she pulls another one on me out of nowhere and I think it's the main reason I keep coming back to her books honestly even though sometimes they aren't for me. I still find myself getting sucked in somehow and enjoying myself (as much as you can with dark and messed up books).
But with that being said because of how rushed the ending felt I'm unsure of how to rate this book and despite the one reveal really shocking me and making me feel disgusted I genuinely am unsure I really liked the reveal??? So right now I will not give this book a rating and just see how I'm feeling in the morning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, and Transphobia