Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

4 reviews

ladycranstonkc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

a_novel_craving's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

thrillofthepage's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

 Last night I finished The Night Sister by @jennifermcmahonwrites and loved it! This is my third book of hers and she has become an auto buy author and I am determined to read her backlist this year!

I picked this off the shelf at my library first because it’s Jennifer McMahon, second because of the spooky cover. I love the ominous feeling of the title and the creepy vibes of the cover. I’m happy to report that the story inside matches not only the aesthetic, but also the eerie feel. McMahon’s writing is propulsive without being overdone and flashy. She creates an atmosphere that contributes to the compulsive need to flip pages and I found myself wanting to stay up past my bedtime to read. Small town settings are one of my favorites and London, Vermont, along with the Tower Motel, were the perfect backdrop for this creepy story and gave me all the Bates Motel feels.

I loved reading the story from the multiple POVs of Rose, Piper, and Jason. The dual timelines added a layer to the story and had me stumped until the very end. This is common in McMahon’s books and I’ve never figured out the endings until she’s ready to reveal. I really liked the letters from Sylvia to Alfred Hitchcock scattered throughout and thought they helped transition between timelines.

If you’re looking for a mysterious read check out McMahon’s books. I promise you won’t be disappointed. She deserves so much more hype and love! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Dementia, Grief, and Pregnancy

laraotto's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Good scary creepy.