support_lesbian's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I will say that the content described in this guess is very upsetting but I guess its as graphic as it needed to be based on the subject matter for the book but I really can't say for sure right now. I am quite satisfied with the conclusion this book went in as a mystery thriller novel because it like, actually commits to what makes sense and didn't back out of the story it was telling, upsetting narrative aside.
Beginning and ending chapters could have been stronger and there was definitely moments where the writing of the book made me raise my eyebrow in a skeptical way because of how unnecessary it was to me and like with all of these books it uses the scapegoat mental illness diagnosis to explain away character motivations when really they're just horrible scumbags that always leaves a bad taste.
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Violence
xmacabre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Injury/injury detail, Sexual assault, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Mental illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia
kearac's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Grief
brehexual's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Stalking, Suicide, Trafficking, Gore, Body shaming, Confinement, Child death, Body horror, and Blood
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Claire and Lydia, estranged sisters brought back together by another tragedy, embark on a journey almost twenty-five years old as new clues come to light about their older sister, Julia, who went missing when she was nineteen and was never found. Nothing is as it seems as present begins to connect rather ominously with the past.
This was my first Karin Slaughter book and man, did it deliver. It’s definitely a very dark book that seems to get darker with each shocking turn, not shying away from grisly facts or chilling thoughts. The writing was intense, fast-paced, evocative. Slaughter’s words made the story so vivid and realistic, my heart pounding the whole way through as if I were one of Julia’s sisters, too.
If you’re a fan of Gillian Flynn, you’ll also devour this one. I found their writing styles quite similar and engaging.
I loved the way this story played out, the different story arcs that came to fruition. Of course, the subject matter is even more sinister then you’d imagine out the gate, but it was used so well in this one.
I suspect I will be thinking of this book for a long time!!
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Rape, Physical abuse, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Addiction, Gore, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Excrement, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Gun violence
Minor: Body horror
secre's review against another edition
- 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
1.75
In the present you have Claire and Lydia, two sisters living very different lives. In the past you have their sister, abducted and never found more than two decades previous. But when Claire's husband is murdered seemingly randomly, Claire makes discoveries that show her husband in a very different light. Her discovery of a series of torture porn videos bare a shocking similarity to a recent missing girl, but bring back memories of her own sisters disappearance all that time ago. The two sisters re-connect after the funeral, although the fact that Lydia is in the process of gleefully urinating on the fresh grave makes for a slightly awkward reunion. The relationship between them is strained, but their connection isn't something that can be easily dismissed.
I have to admit, I felt the first half of the novel was significantly better than the second half. It opens with a murder and then it's a slow build up of information and evidence. It builds up well and I was fascinated by the narrative and whilst the characters weren't always likeable, they were at least very believable. But around the 50% mark it... loses it's way. It becomes ridiculously unrealistic, the torture porn is ramped up to 120 for no real reason or benefit and I found myself just rolling my eyes. It just became laughable. To begin with the villains of the piece seem all too possibly real. By the end, they are cartoonishly caricatured.
All in all, this was a disappointment. I was expecting a certain level of blood and gore, so my low rating isn't due to that. It is however due in part to how pointless said blood, gore and torture porn was; it added little to noting to the narrative. It's also due to how unbelievably stupid the plot gets in the latter half, how convoluted yet predictable and how cartoonish the villains become. Not Slaughter's best work by a mile.
Graphic: Murder, Death, Child abuse, Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Child death
riella_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Bullying, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Suicide, Gun violence, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Pedophilia, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, and Vomit
carolynbruce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Gaslighting, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Toxic relationship
zianna_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Addiction, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, Pedophilia, Torture, Death, and Gore
saraavowlerr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Suicide, Vomit, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Violence, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Stalking, and Torture