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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
lemurdance's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Mike Hayes is lucky enough to have met the love of his life in college. Unfortunately, the horrors of his childhood, first with an abusive mother and then the subsequent years in foster care, have permanently altered his perception of healthy love and relationships. When he meets Verity, he knows it is forever. Their relationship is rife with mindgames, secret signals, and intensity that Mike clings to even after their breakup and all the way through the tragedy that rips through their new lives.
What begins as the sweet stories of a man deeply in love with his partner gradually reveals itself to be a first-person narrative of an escalating stalker. Mike's earnestness is almost ingratiating to the reader, as he insists everything that's happened since they broke up, including V's marriage, is part of an elaborate puzzle she has set up for him. Were we reading this from V's perspective, everything in me would scream RED FLAGS to her; instead we are stuck waiting to see what Mike's delusions will lead to next.
This tale evoked feelings of sympathy, pity, disgust, hopefulness, and horror. It is truly a rollercoaster from beginning to end and is a prime example of a psychological thriller in all the best ways.
I almost didn't want to love this book because of how emotionally difficult it was at times, but it is so exquisitely dark and twisty that I have nothing but praise for Araminta Hall and can't wait to read more from her.
What begins as the sweet stories of a man deeply in love with his partner gradually reveals itself to be a first-person narrative of an escalating stalker. Mike's earnestness is almost ingratiating to the reader, as he insists everything that's happened since they broke up, including V's marriage, is part of an elaborate puzzle she has set up for him. Were we reading this from V's perspective, everything in me would scream RED FLAGS to her; instead we are stuck waiting to see what Mike's delusions will lead to next.
This tale evoked feelings of sympathy, pity, disgust, hopefulness, and horror. It is truly a rollercoaster from beginning to end and is a prime example of a psychological thriller in all the best ways.
I almost didn't want to love this book because of how emotionally difficult it was at times, but it is so exquisitely dark and twisty that I have nothing but praise for Araminta Hall and can't wait to read more from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Abandonment, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse
fbzcab's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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