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themelaniewaite's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If I had to quickly sum up the plot of this book, I’d say it’s Midnight Mass meets WandaVision meets the Supernatural episode “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” (s5, ep15).
It was the cover that originally drew me in. And then the idea that this island was stuck living as thought it was still 1994 mixed with a missing persons plot - it all had me so curious. I didn’t realise when I bought it, that the story was essentially a “found footage” theme - the last one I’d read in that format had put me off the genre. And though it took a few chapters to get into the flow of this storytelling, once the story found its rhythm it was really well done and worth powering through. It definitely achieved what it set out to do.
The plot was eerie and had me hooked, desperately eager to get answers for what million questions the plot threw in. All of which tied together so well. No stone was left unturned by the end of the story.
There was something so satisfying in the way the ending came together, and I’m pleased with the way it all came together. If you’re looking for a story that has you questioning literally everything, this is the one for you. With each chapter, there are more questions but once it starts coming together, this slow burn mystery is so well executed. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail