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hapalyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The pacing AGAIN in this book is so bizarre and so bad. It's like a switch gets flipped to make the characters suddenly "lovey" and romantic. Horrible romantic resolution. The action is by far the best part of this book.
I also like the trope of "dumb character actually turns out to be a genius".
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
ellavlind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Asså Wills och Emmys relation va den sjukaste bergochdalbanan jag upplevt, sometimes may be good sometimes may be shit liksom. Älskade deras typ arga love confession iaf när hon frågar om han vill gifta sig. Så gulligt när alla lyckades gifta sig också hahah.
Asså Will i denna bocken va ju helt krossad typ?? SJUKASTE plot twisten att han skicka sig själv till black church och att han och hans farfar lurade Crist och han andra. Asså Wills trauma med vatten vid dehär laget är inte att leka med men så bra att han döda Martin och de gjorde de bättre att han gjorde de i vattnet och med sina händer.
Grät också när Martin sköt Alex men de va tur att hon inte dog asså för hon är nog tio tre favoritkaraktär.
Tyckte om Damon och Emmys relation och sättet de bonda på. Även om de va genom att döda och begrava Damons mamma vilket ledde till att Damon såg Emmys blåmärken från Martin så han gav henne nyckeln till rummet i kyrkan, så va de deras sätt.
Skulle säga att första typ 8 timmarna i boken eller va de va under de 5 dagarna i black church inte de mest underhållande för mig. Gillade som sagt viben ändå men de va nått som saknades under den tiden. Därför blir det inte mer än 4,5.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
clindsey73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
abzauthor'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
dkgreads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Murder
jen1804's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I also personally felt that the descriptions at times were lacking to the point where I found I was getting confused about where they were and what was happening and the logistics of it all.
The scenes of Martin abusing Emory were so graphic and so excruciating to read. I felt so sad for Em. I think Penelope Douglas did a good job of making us despise Martin and portraying the mind of a domestic abuse victim. Harrowing.
The friendship that blossomed between Em and Damon was so endearing, understanding each other’s pain and keeping each other’s secrets, though I feel robbed of not getting to witness Will’s reaction to Em telling him about Natalya and why they were in the school showers together that night. I love that Damon gave Em the carfax room from one abused child to another, and I love that Damon and Emory now have a design and building business together, plus him rebuilding the gazebo using her blueprints was just beautiful.
So glad Martin fucking died. But I so badly wanted Damon to dive off the cliff after Will and be the one to pull him out of the water as a kinda full circle moment.
I loved the romantic scenes between Will and Emory so much, they were so cute, I bookmarked so many of their lines, especially their flashbacks from when they were in school. I liked seeing the female play a more dominant part too. There was not enough romance content though! And the ‘present’ scenes seemed too rushed. Like woah that marriage proposal did not have enough of a present day romantic foundation behind it after all the spiteful Blackchurch behaviour for it to make sense.
As much as I thought the marriage was quick though I can forgive it, because the four way wedding was everything and I adored that so much!
If I’m being honest Will’s Blackchurch agenda kinda doesn’t really make a great deal of sense to me, like whatever, and the whole Aydin/Alex sub plot is just a big nope. But I’m glad Will’s grandpa was a double crossing legend and seeing their relationship with each other was lush.
I did however really like that Will discovered Coldfield and the tunnels and I loved the idea of their own private access to all these places around Thunder Bay and Meridian City including tunnels to each other’s houses.
I wasn’t very happy about how angry Will was about the whole Em being ‘the reason they went to prison’ thing, because let’s be clear it was NOT her fault and she did not in fact owe any one of them an apology. This series is basically full of the guys holding grudges over miscommunication, lol.
The train carriage scene was weird but I guess also not unexpected from this bunch of characters! Pahahhh.
Overall I enjoyed it, and really loved the insight into their kids ten years later that we got in the epilogue. I love that these four guys who were basically entitled assholes in high school let’s be real, have all found a strong woman who’s their match and equal. I really enjoyed the context of found family throughout this series and the love that is woven through all of them.
Satisfactory ending? Yes.
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
kodafaith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love Will so much, he is the one guy you really just can’t help but to love and his dynamic with Emory threw me for a loop even though it’s stated throughout the series how he felt.
She annoying me a lot throughout the series but in a very understandable way. In the “just swallow your fear and pride girl and open yourself way. Because Will deserved the world and was so sweet to get always.
This was a very good wrap up to the series and it definitely hints that there may be more to come in this world!
Overall this was my second favorite book but it was very close behind Killswitch. Ugh Pen just has a way of getting me to be obsessed with any story she wants to tell. This has become one of my favorite series of all time, across all genres.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
coligmueller's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
tristaesque's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
noveltay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a good way to end the series, although this one personally was the “least realistic”. Will is hard to love for me, but the flashbacks were making me fall in love with him. Emory is very hard to love but for the wrong reasons for me.. she clearly is a victim in MANY ways, but I feel like she prolonged a lot of communication the entire book (NOT in the flashbacks though- that was reasonable given her situation).
This book did have me fall in love with Damon even more, Kill Switch being my favorite of the series.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting