teganberryyy's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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rage_among_the_page's review against another edition

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dark funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Would I have randomly picked this up? Negative. I jumped into this and me based on intrigue following the first book in the series. This is actually the first book in quite awhile that I read straight through in one session. It is rather short, but the structure and story keep you rolling through.

Personally, I feel this one improves my impression of book 1. I felt the “patient files” and interactions had more depth and intrigue. We also learn more about Dr. Harper (as well as others) and I felt way more invested in the characters this round. Sure, it reads more like a diary than actual patient files, but I’m here for it. Where I felt some execution fell a bit flat and lacked depth in book 1 (perhaps intentional), the author seems to come into their own this round. 

Comparing the two, Book 1 read like an idea or assignment, entertaining yet a bit forced. Book 2 seems to speed up as though the author was on a roll, caught on and was like “hell yeah, let’s do this” while frantically writing in a daze of this alternate reality. 

I’d also like to touch on the titles here, they’re daunting to me. I really would not have picked this one up, the first one…maybe, the third sounds hilarious. I really did not want to bury myself into some graphic or deep story relating to what is assumed to be the subject matter. It’s not like that at all, it touches on the topics and character involvement, but there is no description or diving deep into trauma. While some may not enjoy any dark lit, this is truly lighthearted on the topics and have more focus on the plot and characters than what may be assumed.

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