siglerbooknook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The dialog was top tier. I truly enjoyed the quippy back and forths throughout the story.
The mystery aspect is entertaining, but you the reader are definitely just along for the ride. You aren't given enough pieces to solve it in advance.
The ending is a cliffhanger, so I'm glad I already have book 2. It is a great ending that leaves me wanting to dive into the next book. All the little puzzles are tied up nicely by the final pages and a new one has just begun.
I can't wait to see what the next book brings.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Classism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Homophobia
emmajh91'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: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Child death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, and Blood
maxyne21'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? It's complicated
3.75
Spoiler
I totally predicted the Toby/Harry thing. The whole book I knew he had to be more than just an intro character. For a while I wasn’t sure if he was the grandfather who just faked his death, or the son, but still. Maybe it was predictable but idc it’s still a clever way to leave a cliff hanger. I also think Rebecca’s involvement was predicable, but I’m surprised she wasn’t MORE involved. I feel like we didn’t learn enough about her or her relationship with Thea and Emily. Or her obvious mental health issues. Hopefully we get more on that in future books. Also I’m sorry but Tobias Hawthorne is creepy as FUCK for all of this. Keeping track of a 6 year old he met once??? And she just happened to have the same birthday as the girl who died, so she orchestrated his whole damn will around it?? Like Jesus what a weirdo. The epilogue with cancer made me feel bad for him cuz he wasn’t sure he truly mattered to his grandfather too.Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Minor: Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Stalking
purplepenning'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
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, Homophobia, Sexism, and Chronic illness
Underage drinking and drunkennesssome_froggish_lad's review against another edition
- 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? N/A
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Lesbophobia, Grief, Car accident, Gun violence, Chronic illness, and Homophobia
terrik_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death and Homophobia
foxo_cube's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Most of my qualms with the book are more down to personal taste. There are four Hawthorne brothers - the grandsons of the billionaire who left his property to our main character, Avery. Three of them are of an age range to make them romanceable options for her.
Nash, the oldest, is a cowboy. Why? I do not know. I like him and I was actually really rooting for him and Libby, Avery's older sister, to get together - I felt like they'd be cute together. Yeehaw.
Grayson is an arrogant twat
Spoiler
for most of the bookSpoiler
He does get a redemption arc and I actually ended up liking him. He had reason to be suspicious and standoffish (not excusing him, but explaining his actions) and he seems to acknowledge it was a him problem. He seems to be a decent-hearted guy.Jameson is... I don't know. He has a personality. I just don't really get what it is. He starts out being drunk and speaking weirdly cryptically like he thinks he's the Sphinx who tells riddles. I was severely put off him when he used a secret passage to go to Avery's room and go "I am in your walls, let me in, let me in" in the middle of the night, and then, when she let him in, he was like "it would be a shame if we were related [with euphemistic intent]". That's nightmare fuel, and she's just like "he's kinda hot, though". What?! Although he becomes more likeable, I never really felt any real chemistry between them beyond her swooning over him occasionally. I just couldn't feel invested in them getting together even though that's clearly what the book's getting at.
Xander is a good boy, a sweet boy, and a boy of many talents. For some reason, despite acknowledging he is tall and attractive (both traits commonly deemed attractive by straight female protagonists in YA novels), he is never swooned over. To be fair, this goes both ways. Xander is much more concerned with eating scones.
Spoiler
That, and facilitating the game his grandfather set up to get his brothers to work together to solve a puzzle, occasionally prodding Avery in the right direction when she hits a wall.Avery is definitely a little bit of a blank slate in the YA protagonist kind of way where you're meant to project yourself onto her, but she experiences her own character development and she feels believable.
I feel as though I'd have enjoyed this more if it weren't for the romance elements, which felt a little forced.
Spoiler
That said, I liked how the parallel was drawn between Avery and Emily in that respect.Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Biphobia
_gabi_'s review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, and Death
ashybear02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Homophobia, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent
karapillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Classism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Stalking, Infidelity, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia