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joelleen's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
almond's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't like the main character and the way the story ultimately develops wasn't satisfying to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Minor: Rape
reading_oncoffee's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed reading this..but the ending killed it for me.
It was like reading a completely different book at the end in a way that just felt forced. I read in the acknowledgements that she talked with a lawyer to get legal advice for the writing of this book and i think in doing that she lost her writing style at the end and it was like she copy and pasted something else in. It was very strange and defiruined the "psychological thriller"-Ness of this novel for me
The rest, however, was amazing. I love the structure of this novel, I think it was very smart to write this in parts and not chapters. It really made you feel like your reading a diary entry or a transcribed interview which for this type of story really sucked you in and kept you there. The best way I can describe it is as reading a news article about a tragedy I have no connection to in anyway but still feeling the need to know every detail and read the whole thing and then subscribe for updates. It was usurping!
Spoiler up ahead about another problem I had throughout out the book revolving Mike as a person.
I can't help but mention Mike's mental health. As you read this you will notice he is definitely mentally ill. He seems very out of touch with reality and every time Verity says one thing he somehow twists it to mean something else entirely. Everytime she says he needs to move on he hears "I still love you" which is not..normal...and for this to be literally the whole backbone of the story I find it extremely disturbing and strange that no one thought to push him to get help or even get law enforcement or something involved to force him.to go because he was very obviously unwell. I understand he didn't come off as a violent person but I can't comprehend how his foster mom heard him saying he and Verity are still getting back together after he literally went to her wedding and thought "oh he's harmless". Like it wasn't violent but that is a very clear sign of illness and being out of touch with reality. There were many more signs like this, and actually his foster mom even specifically asks him if maybe his perception of reality was different from Verity's and when he answered that wasn't possible and that she still loves her, his foster mom just shrugs her shoulders and says "ok..have a nice day"...I understand that if he got help the whole plot would disintegrate but something about him being ill not even being MENTIONED just made the whole novel seem unrealistic. Someone would have said something. A mother figure would have been more concerned.
I also didn't care for how political the court hearing got, and again after reading the acknowledgement she does say that this book was written in lieu of "the continued injustices perpetrated against women in our so-called civilized society." I don't know the context behind that statement (she also admits this novel was written in a "mad spurt of anger") but the attempt to squeeze in some politics in the very monotone and out of place court hearing just disconnected that whole part of the book from the rest of it. In that way, it ruined the ending for me, and I really wish it hadn't because I loved this whole story!
It was like reading a completely different book at the end in a way that just felt forced. I read in the acknowledgements that she talked with a lawyer to get legal advice for the writing of this book and i think in doing that she lost her writing style at the end and it was like she copy and pasted something else in. It was very strange and defiruined the "psychological thriller"-Ness of this novel for me
The rest, however, was amazing. I love the structure of this novel, I think it was very smart to write this in parts and not chapters. It really made you feel like your reading a diary entry or a transcribed interview which for this type of story really sucked you in and kept you there. The best way I can describe it is as reading a news article about a tragedy I have no connection to in anyway but still feeling the need to know every detail and read the whole thing and then subscribe for updates. It was usurping!
Spoiler up ahead about another problem I had throughout out the book revolving Mike as a person.
I also didn't care for how political the court hearing got, and again after reading the acknowledgement she does say that this book was written in lieu of "the continued injustices perpetrated against women in our so-called civilized society." I don't know the context behind that statement (she also admits this novel was written in a "mad spurt of anger") but the attempt to squeeze in some politics in the very monotone and out of place court hearing just disconnected that whole part of the book from the rest of it. In that way, it ruined the ending for me, and I really wish it hadn't because I loved this whole story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, and Stalking
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
hufflesnoot's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I read the whole book waiting for something to happen. But it never really did. There wasn't any suspense and I just didn't care about the characters at all. It got repetitive real quick and it was so slow paced, that I had trouble finishing this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Murder
shoshin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
2.5
The premise was intriguing. The treatment of the stalking victim after the climactic scene was sadly realistic. It was an interesting look into the imagined psychology of a stalker, but it somehow didn't quite ring true to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Stalking, Violence, Murder, and Alcoholism
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