Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

41 reviews

gwenswoons's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holy fuck this was so good. It’s been a while since I have read a thriller so totally addictive and masterfully crafted and I could NOT get enough. This was in the category of The Last Housewife and others like that for me, just totally gripping faves I will remember for a long time! I found myself listening to it for hours at home — I’m usually an audiobook reader on my  drives to commute to and from work, and on regular longer drives in and out of town, so when I can’t stop listening even at home I know I’m totally absorbed.

I’m so impressed by a book that both makes its characters do terrible things and makes us root for them anyway. The villain characters are SO FUN in addition to being monstrous and I thought all of the self-referential philosophical and academic nuggets just added to the humor.

January LaVoy is completely amazing narrating the audio — I have loved her work many times before but the disguised voice and all the different characters in this one were SO great and so scary.

It’s so fantastic and also truly grisly. Every possible trigger warning.

I saw some of the turns coming (not way far away, and not in an unpleasant way) but still was TOTALLY thrilled at the dénouement (like, a package got delivered and my dog started barking and I almost passed out from sudden terror  🤣), and thought the pacing of the book was so effective overall. I cannot WAIT to read more Adrian McKinty!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

linda48's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

born_reading's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, and Alcohol

xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

lexithelion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I loved this book. It wastes no time in jumping straight into the dramatics and I was not expecting it. The book has an incredibly dark storyline but its worked out so well by the author that it keeps you hooked without losing you through the tense plot. This is the second of Adrian McKinty's novels that I have read and he is so good at creating unique plotlines that are so intriguing. It is one thing for the characters to create such a horrific kidnapping scheme but another when you realize that the author created it for the sake of the story. I myself was trying to figure out a way out of the chain, but I couldn't, and that is the beauty of Adrian's talent. I'm not giving this book a full 5 stars because the main character, Rachel, kept making very stupid decisions and she seems like the kind of character that would know not to mess with things like this. However, the re-readability of this book is very high, which is why I decided to buy this to add to my personal library. I would highly recommend this book to friends and I already have. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death and Murder

madanxiety's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

Not my usual taste, but it's gripping. I liked how everything slowly came together, and how it wasn't too easy to figure out what was gonna happen next.

This may be the most disturbing book I've ever read. No, actually, I've read Night by Elie Wiesel and a few different narratives of formerly enslaved people. Maybe it's the most disturbing fiction book I've ever read. That doesn't say a whole lot since I know there are much more disturbing books--I'm of the mind that there are too many real-life horrors to stomach fictional ones too. For that reason, I was going to quit the book halfway through, which I don't think I've ever done, if

the little girl died from anaphylaxis

. But that didn't happen, so I trucked on. 

I'm skeptical about the implications of these kind of books in the same way that I'm skeptical of the true crime genre. I think these things sensationalize interpersonal violence and organized crime, weaving these horrific-yet-juicy narratives that ultimately (1) distract from the state-sanctioned violence that's infinitely more rampant in the US and the world at large, and (2) teach the common people to be fearful of each other,  squashing our ability to build trusting community support networks. 

I'd have given it 5 stars if it was a more explicit commentary

on corruption in law enforcement/FBI/etc. Instead, especially due to the focus on Ginger and Ollie's traumatic and disturbing childhoods, the book is more localized--"these specific people are crazy evil villains," not "these people reflect the normalized abuse of power and resources that takes place in America law enforcement and justice systems." I guess that's what's more interesting and compelling to me, not cults of "sociopaths" (a word used in the book to describe Ginger, but which is not a scientifically specific, diagnostic term).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy

shesflippinpages's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

kelsey24's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This was a terrifying plot that kept me riveted throughout the entire book, especially learning that it is based on similar true events. The emotional rollercoaster the author takes you on is intense and at times you feel like you're living it. The ending was slightly too Hollywood for me, as I think it could have easily gone on for another hundred pages in order to really explore the consequences, as I'm not a fan of everything being wrapped up in a pretty bow. Other than that it was solid.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

bechlette47's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Confinement and Death of parent

sandysmith's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records.  This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children, previously being an avid reader.  A psychological thriller that makes you think. A stranger rings and has kidnapped your child. In order to release them you must pay a ransome and kidnap another person's child. Your child will be released when your victims parents kidnap another child. If this doesn't happen your child will be killed. An interesting concept but you could see the protagonist early on, which was disappointing. Unlikeable characters, a quick read, but I didn't love it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use