Scan barcode
justinenoon82's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
While the plot is engaging and the setting atmospheric, the main character felt underdeveloped, which made it hard to fully connect with the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Emotional abuse
crystalsparkles's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
katy_bee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A little uneven in places but kept me guessing and interested the whole way through.
I think starting with the obituary in the prologue is a bit gimmicky and ultimately fell flat but it was interesting to read the others
I think starting with the obituary in the prologue is a bit gimmicky and ultimately fell flat but it was interesting to read the others
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder
maisymaze's review against another edition
The premise was good but the writing was not keeping me entertained. The characters weren’t super likable for me besides Coco and I started to get bored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
thewellreadlabrador's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Pandemic/Epidemic
eriinmaureenn's review against another edition
DNF @ 62%. I just can't keep going. I wanted to finish it off since KU said I had ~1.5 hours left, but I'm so bored. All the characters in this book are unlikeable. Coco? Annoying. Gwen? Annoying. Maddy? Annoying. [Insert Name Here]? Annoying.
The premise is interesting and the book started with a bang but instantly slowed down. I knew I needed to DNF when I started looking up spoilers. I never look up spoilers.
I wanted more about the obituaries. I wanted less "this old lady died of a heart attack but actually I think she was murdered" and more "huh, this lady was clearly murdered but nothing is documented to say so. Is someone falsifying documents?" Also, the pandemic has no place in this book, seems like the author just wanted to include it to say "this book talks about the pandemic." Overall, the pacing sucks. Don't bother.
The premise is interesting and the book started with a bang but instantly slowed down. I knew I needed to DNF when I started looking up spoilers. I never look up spoilers.
I wanted more about the obituaries. I wanted less "this old lady died of a heart attack but actually I think she was murdered" and more "huh, this lady was clearly murdered but nothing is documented to say so. Is someone falsifying documents?" Also, the pandemic has no place in this book, seems like the author just wanted to include it to say "this book talks about the pandemic." Overall, the pacing sucks. Don't bother.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Pandemic/Epidemic
chanteld's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Loved this novel and I'm now a Rachel Howzell Hall stan. I can't t wait to dive into her backlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
xmeganlowe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Such a unique story and a great two mysteries. There was never a point where I thought I had it figured out cause you never knew who to trust!! More and more secrets came to light as the book went on and the end was a MAJOR plot twist.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because it was a little tough to get into in the beginning as it read a little slow as you gathered the background on the characters. At times, it felt like the pandemic was irrelevant to the story but at the end I do see how that made sense because it really gives you the understanding of the state of society.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because it was a little tough to get into in the beginning as it read a little slow as you gathered the background on the characters. At times, it felt like the pandemic was irrelevant to the story but at the end I do see how that made sense because it really gives you the understanding of the state of society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
braveprincess11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
4 1/2 ⭐️
An obituary writer returns to the island where her family was murdered 19 years earlier, and ends up entangled in a new string of “mysterious deaths.”
This is my first novel by Rachel Howell Hall, and it certainly won’t be my last. This is such a fresh take on what I would describe as a domestic thriller - it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Opening the book with Collette’s own obituary, and then beginning each chapter with the current date and time created a sense of urgency parallel to the urgency felt from the increasing body count in Avalon. The entire time, we as readers, are able to count down the days left in Collette’s life right alongside her, adding to the tension. Her use of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to create forced proximity, establishing a reason why Collette isn’t able to flee Catalina Island, is one that I haven’t seen before. The amount of misdirection and red herrings throughout the book made it so that I was suspicious of everyone Colette came into contact with, and yet the reveal was still a total surprise.
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star book for me, bumping it down to 4 1/2, is that the ending felt a bit rushed. The transition from the final chapter to the epilogue was somewhat jarring, with everything suddenly neat and tidy - no more deaths, no more corruption, justice served, penance repaid.
It also was a bit too convenient for me that both Flynn and Noah survived. Noah in particular, especially after bleeding out in the cellar for an unspecified amount of time. Fighting for his life, maybe. But “recovering” felt like a choice made specifically so that Colette could still have one more stable and happy thing after her harrowing experience. I understand why it was done, it just wasn’t a choice I would have made.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Pandemic/Epidemic
More...