isabellelle_11'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
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Sexual content, Self harm, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Cursing, Classism, Lesbophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Animal death, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Body shaming, and Infertility
mr_cain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Murder, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit
Minor: Animal death
livbeveridge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Cursing, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Vomit, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, and Grief
alanadriggers's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Self harm, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Body horror, Alcoholism, and Cursing
wkh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
With that being said, I did start reading this book knowing full well what I was getting into. However, I was a little perturbed by how dark the book seemed. I would have appreciated more emphasis on creating a better plot or more memorable characters. Instead, the macabre seemed to be the focus of the author.
I liked the plot and the story. I did not enjoy the writing style too much either - the writing seemed overly descriptive and there wasn't much of a plot besides the main character bouncing around town and having random conversations which might or might not yield any useful information. I can see why this book is hyped, but it just did not do it for me. Decent book, but I am not sure if I will be reading any more from Gillian Flynn.
Graphic: Cursing, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Self harm
steviep_reads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Self harm, Vomit, Child abuse, and Sexual content
loujanae's review against another edition
1.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Vomit, Sexual content, Child death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Murder, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Body shaming
lignjahal'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 decided to listen to the audiobook alongside watching the miniseries, which was a fun experience for someone rewatching the series.
I found the miniseries to be one of those rare adaptations that is better than the novel and improves the novel with its changes. That doesn’t mean that the novel was not good or unenjoyable, just that I think the extension of time and the passage of time since the novel’s release, have made it possible for the book to be improved.
As ever, Flynn’s prose is fantastic and I love how she writes female characters as unabashedly real, instead of the ridiculous version of “likable” that she has pushed against. Her writing style is really good at reflecting on trauma and the female experience of it, which is something I needed to read right now.
The only ding to the score comes from the writing of Amma, who’s pattern of behaviors in the book make her a more obvious bad seed than the version in the miniseries (which I obviously prefer better).
Graphic: Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Self harm, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, and Sexual violence
smixter88's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual content, Torture, Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Drug use, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
mickraine'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: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Self harm, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Drug use, Child abuse, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Death, Chronic illness, Child death, Blood, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, Animal death, and Cursing