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kayla_hehe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Classism
tea_jambi'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
daniallreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Its drama. Drama. Drama. ALL THE DRAMA!
In my head I was thinking "Wow. This is very similar to the show "A Million Little Things" just centered around murder and with extremely unlikable characters." [So nothing like the show Danielle? You dingus.]
Now don't get it twisted, I was thoroughly entertained the entire book. It was like seeing a couple fight in public. You don't wanna look but you can't stop yourself from looking.
I hated every single one of these characters. I hated what they stood for. I hated the slimy things they got away with.
I kind of felt filthy being absorbed into this story. I felt like I was a peeper onto this families love triangle of a drama filled nightmare. It felt so wrong to be entertained.
But I feel this was the message Stephen Amidon wanted to send to his readers. He wanted you to have deep rooted hatred for his characters.
I think this is a thriller that I will continue to look back on and sort out my feelings about the plot.
It's a deep look into society. How corrupt that the world can be. It's hurts my head just to think that all the wrongness in this story exists in our world.
This was a good read. Not my favorite but it has a message that will make you think about society as a whole. What's right, what's wrong. What can you do to make a change in the world.
I have to brutally honest, it is a slow burn but the drama will keep you gripped into the story. The rich white women of the story really know how to dish out the neighborhood scandal. The rich entitled children running around will appall you. The secrets that are deep within each of these characters souls will shock you.
Speaking of rich women, Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job narrating this book. Her voice is very easy to listen to. I thought she presented the character well especially Alice and Celia. I was very entertained to the point that I binge listened to the entire ten hours in two days.
I am here again to remind you sweet souls to check the trigger warnings on this book. It gets extremely intense. It notes a wide variety of sensitive topics especially race, classism, rape, sexual abuse and bullying.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy and Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality, and Classism
Minor: Cancer and Domestic abuse
emmas_bookshelf'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall, this story had a lot of potential. It skipped around from viewpoint to viewpoint a lot, which resulted in more superficial character development than I would have preferred. I also would have loved to know more about the victim because she was lost in all the drama. I think that was rather the point of the story, but it also made it harder to feel invested in the subplot of who actually was guilty of the murder.
If you're very into family and town dynamics, you may enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, and Murder