astoriareader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Sadie, a physician, and her husband, Will, have two sons, Tate & Otto. They have relocated from Chicago to Maine. Will’s sister, Alice, recently passed away, and they inherited Alice’s home & have become the guardian of Alice’s teenage daughter, Imogen.
- Shortly after the family moves in, there was a murder next door.
- We are also introduced to two other narrators/characters in the story: Camille, who had an affair with Will, and Mouse, a young girl that has an evil stepmother.
- Multiple POVs (Sadie, Camille, Mouse, and at the end, Will has a few chapters too)
- Lots of twists. Although for seasoned readers of the genre, some are a bit predictable.
- I am a big fan of Kubica’s writing, and I enjoy her writing style. This is the third book I’ve read by her.
- Excellent pacing. I got through this one in about a day & a half. Satisfying ending.
- Atmospheric setting. Secluded island off Maine, and Kubica deftly illustrates the old, dreary, musty house to give the house a creepy personality of its own.
- The adult characters aren’t very likable in this one.
- Without giving away more, my one gripe is Kubica’s use of mental illness as plot device. Although handled better than most authors, it’s still a personal pet peeve of mine.
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Confinement
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Drug abuse
Minor: Bullying, Self harm, Car accident, Infidelity, Blood, Alcohol, and Cursing
bbell99's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, Child abuse, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Domestic abuse
foldingthepage_kayleigh'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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kristymc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit and Animal cruelty
reilly_fig_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness
karahoff97's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Panic attacks/disorders
c100's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, and Sexual content
brookey8888's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
kellydarla's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
But the writing of this book felt so stilted - especially in audiobook format. Sometimes I felt like she took an action and found four ways to describe it. And put all four descriptions into the book. There are two plot twists - the first I saw coming the second I did not. Could have been a great thriller if the writing had not been so poor
Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Gaslighting
shelvedbyserena's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse and Animal cruelty