Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Butcher and the Wren

I enjoyed it, particularly the dual POV, but the book was short and didn't allow me to really get to know the characters.

A little more depth to the characters would have gone a long way to get me invested in their story.

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parchementhallucinations's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

So freaking good! Best thriller I have read in a long time. How is this Alaina's first book and it's THIS good?? I enjoyed the detailed medical aspect of this book (you may not like it if you're squeamish). I love a dual POV. I also felt like she did an excellent job at making me hate the killer, in that "love to hate him" kind of way. I can't wait for the sequel!

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princess_marie's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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aaannina's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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cardenasjamiee's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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emreadsmtimes's review

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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

5.0

I know that, and many other reviewers, are huge fans of Morbid— and Alaina absolutely killed it!!!

It was such an amazingly detailed read, from the plot, the characters, the suspense, and even the Lousiana Byou that holds the stories of the dead in its swampy waters… Another element of this story that I loved was the perspective changes from chapter to chapter (starting with Jeremy, to Wren, to Jeremy, and so on.) It provided a unique reading experience that was executed well!

I read this book in 3 days, and I'm usually not a fast reader, but I simply couldn't put this book down. If you're looking for a body horror, mystery, and thriller book— this is the one for you! Can't wait to read The Butcher Game!!!

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ninaw2's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

this is between a 2.5 and 3 for me. it didn’t do much for me. i’m not a fan of books where i already know who is causing the mayhem. love the author as a podcast host but this kinda fell flat for me. there was a twist i didn’t see coming, the ending was a bit intriguing (like wtf is going on paul?!?) and some descriptions were grossly great. but it was just meh for me. quick easy read though.

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the_bookish_rose's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Typically this isn’t a genre I read all that often just because it isn’t up my alley most of the time (or usually I’ll try to save the spooky reads for October) but I was requested to read this one. I shocked myself by finishing this in three days, though truthfully the writing style was really easy to read and get through, which has its pros and cons.

I feel like I could see the potential this book had, but it needed some more time to finish cooking. This novel had the common writing dilemma of “telling vs showing”, and personally I always love a good murder tale if it’s written in first person rather than third but that’s just me. I also wish there was more character development into Cal/Jeremy, as we (the readers) don’t really get much backstory into how he got into what he does now other than hunting with his dad when he was younger. I also wanted to like the FMC more, but just didn’t find myself connecting with her fully either, but her determination was solid as to finding out what happened. I also wish there was a much bigger climax for the ending, as it felt a bit lackluster, but I was glad to reach the ending. One positive area is the author’s expertise on the medical examiner side, as the level of detail into that aspect was cool to see; I just wish it also spread to other places in the book.

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