Reviews with content warning for Death - Huonetoveri

I really could not put this book down once I got halfway through it. I actually procrastinated finishing my homework just to get to the ending of the book this morning. The plot was fast-paced and took so many twists and turns that I just wanted closure. Who DID kill April?
My biggest complaint with this book was that Hannah was very relatable in a way that made her very uninteresting. I do think she served her purpose as a main character, however, which was to live in the shadow of April and to be so plain that you knew she didn't have a real motive in killing April.
Similarly, Hannah and Will's relationship was not well developed. At times, I felt like I was reading about Hannah's infatuation with Will rather than her love for him. Yes, they went on dates, and he was concerned about her pregnancy, but I just didn't feel this romantic connection between them.
On the other hand, most of the side characters came off the page. Ryan was barely in the novel, yet you could feel his presence. (Honestly, Ryan deserved more time in this novel.) John Neville had the eeriness that made you think he did it and made a reader's skin crawl. November and April had this glowing aura without you having to see them.
Another thing this novel did really well was to create nostalgia for Freshman year of college. I honestly don't think I've wanted to go back to the awkwardness of freshman year more than reading the before sections of the novel.
Overall, this is a book that I would read again because it is very enjoyable.

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tabrock518's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

Took me a while to finish butttt the plot twist was so good definitely did not expect it

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The thriller mystery of this was fine, but oh my god the main character just felt so incredibly clueless. I also wonder how much Ware had actually researched on PTSD because it didn't feel like the MC's reactions to the trauma, so many years later, made that much sense. She had already been through therapy, but she couldn't handle her mental health or seemed to have processed the event. And that makes me feel bad because healing isn't linear and everyone has their own schedule, but she's also fictional, so. I'm not sure if it's actually worse that the MC said over and over how stupid she'd been or if I would have had more sympathy if she was just incredibly clueless. May not try reading this author again.

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booksandbujos's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was a good mystery book, not my favourite Ruth Ware, but an intriguing enough mystery to keep me reading. The twist was something you could have guessed, but not obvious. I think I was hoping for more thriller and ended up more mystery which may have lowered my rating by a little. Overall, enjoyable read

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