Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

Hannah has some misgivings as she leaves for a luxury weekend away with her husband, her brother Mako & his wife, & best friend Cricket & new squeeze. It's the first time Hannah has been away from her baby so she is understandably anxious but also her husband has been acting suspiciously of late. Hannah doesn't want to jump to 'is he cheating' but what else could it be with secret phone-calls & emails he doesn't want her to see? As the six friends arrive for a weekend of outdoor activities & indoor luxury, the weather changes & the group are stuck in the isolated cabin. Furthermore there's something a bit off with their rental owner & the house has a tragic backstory. As the weather cools outside, inside tempers heat up, & it seems someone has a deadly agenda.

This author's books seem to be a bit hit & miss for me: I really liked Under My Skin but wasn't keen on Last Girl Ghosted. This one sits in the middle, it's quite good but I didn't really like it much. The characters are necessarily mostly unlikeable & the reader experiences most events through Hannah's eyes but the second strand of the story which is told by a character called Henry takes you out of the secret-filled cabin which dilutes the tension. The stories do eventually dovetail but it only partly works.

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theimposter's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

I had a hard time getting into it because it was slow and had many many perspectives and flashbacks. But at about 75% into the book, it got good.

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cosmicgranola's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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 wasn’t sure how to rate this. First half of the book was about 2 stars. But the second half really improved, and took several turns I wasn’t expecting. Part 2 was very enjoyable. I just wish there was more action. Lots of backstory with few actual events in the present.

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thegothiclibrary's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Brilliantly executed and intense. Explores themes of identity and how it may or may not be connected to genetics. Also examines culpability for enabling harmful behaviors in ones we love.

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gillianebersole's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

1.0

This was a terrible book but the audiobook kept me and my girlfriend awake on a 12 hour roadtrip, so do with that information what you will. The concept was really interesting, but the writing was difficult to get through.

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