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javafenn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m not entirely sure what to think of this book. The premise was good and ultimately the plot twist was good but there wasn’t much of a resolution and it just kind of… ended. I gave it 3.5 stars because it did keep me engaged but the ending was so abrupt and uneventful that I had to rewind it several times because I thought o was missing something. There was a lot I wish there was more of, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Alcohol
snoopyfanclub's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It was so enthralling but the end just fell flat. Like okay it was a sweet ending I guess but not satisfying at all. I wanted Frank to be stabbed in the gut!!! She brought a knife TWICE in scenes with him and never used it. Like so unsatisfying and she kind of forgot Aubrey existed towards the end like no justice for her I guess. I thought the big reveal would be that was hypnotizing people and poisoning them with the stew she described like 50 times. Also not everyone’s able to be hypnotized yet Aubrey is immediately fully under his command when she was not as dreamy and impressionable as Maya!! Also it’s not a house it’s a cabin so the title isn’t even correct.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
amberacks12's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Not gonna lie, this book was anti climatic. There was a lot of build up and then just, poof, it’s done. I’m kind of left feeling underwhelmed and like the story is unresolved. I do feel like Ana Reyes has a lot of potential as a writer, but I don’t think this one really hit as hard as I was promised it would.
And maybe I feel unresolved because of my own skepticism when it comes to certain aspects of the resolution that I will not mention. But I don’t think enough attention was given to how everything is resolved, and more just ends up feeling hand wavy.
Plus, as a thriller, I didn’t ever feel that Maya was really in much danger, except from herself.
That being said, I really enjoyed the tone and writing style, I liked Maya as a character and as a narrator, and I felt like the character aspects of this story were well developed. Each character felt distinct, and I could sense Maya’s imperfections and possible unreliabilities. I also liked the dreamlike quality of the writing, with flashbacks happening interspersed between the present day narration. It added to the sense of unease I’m sure Maya felt.
So, overall, it was fine.
Enjoyment: 3
Educational Value: 3
Emotional Impact: 2
And maybe I feel unresolved because of my own skepticism when it comes to certain aspects of the resolution that I will not mention. But I don’t think enough attention was given to how everything is resolved, and more just ends up feeling hand wavy.
Plus, as a thriller, I didn’t ever feel that Maya was really in much danger, except from herself.
That being said, I really enjoyed the tone and writing style, I liked Maya as a character and as a narrator, and I felt like the character aspects of this story were well developed. Each character felt distinct, and I could sense Maya’s imperfections and possible unreliabilities. I also liked the dreamlike quality of the writing, with flashbacks happening interspersed between the present day narration. It added to the sense of unease I’m sure Maya felt.
So, overall, it was fine.
Enjoyment: 3
Educational Value: 3
Emotional Impact: 2
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ariana3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I kinda liked this! A murder-mystery thriller that seemed kinda stupid but I was determined to finish it. A girl's best friend was supposedly murdered right in front of her when they were teens, by her maybe boyfriend. It was always a mystery and she was plagued by it, with family and professionals calling her crazy. Turns out the maybe-boyfriend had used hypnosis to trick/manipulate her and found a way to use it to kill her friend and others. She obviously forgets the tactics (because he hypnotizes her to), but she eventually remembers. The "house in the pines" was never a real place like he said, just him putting the image (along with smells, feels, and tastes) into her brain to lull her into his hypnosis trap. She's justified in the end, so she can move on, though it doesn't have much closure in the way it deals with him (just that an arrest should be coming soon...)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
murtzzie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ashlynnnn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is one of those books that’s so slow, but you still can’t put it down. This definitely isn’t for everyone. There isn’t much substance to the plot and the author focuses more on the psychological development of the characters than anything else. But if you’re in the mood for a pretty slow psychological thriller, this is for you.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kwmcm25's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
erisouls's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
minimicropup's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ambivalent, worrisome, humble
Narration 🙂: Croaky in parts, especially with male voices, but not too distracting
An adult (late 20s ish) is coming to terms with past trauma and is further triggered by a social media video showing someone die in a similar way to their best friend.
We are following our MC in their contemporary era, spun out on self-medicating chemies unbeknownst to their partner and family. We also see their POV through flash backs from their senior year of high school and shortly thereafter ~ 7 years ago.
Set in Berkshire (I think?) Massachusetts, USA and surrounding regions.
Narration 🙂: Croaky in parts, especially with male voices, but not too distracting
An adult (late 20s ish) is coming to terms with past trauma and is further triggered by a social media video showing someone die in a similar way to their best friend.
We are following our MC in their contemporary era, spun out on self-medicating chemies unbeknownst to their partner and family. We also see their POV through flash backs from their senior year of high school and shortly thereafter ~ 7 years ago.
Set in Berkshire (I think?) Massachusetts, USA and surrounding regions.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:
-The transition between past and present wasn't necessarily jarring except for how it occurred so abruptly (even on audio). Based on the characters involved I figured out which era we were in, but maybe chapter/headings for those transitions would be helpful. It was probably easier with audio than text/digitial
-The ending just kinda happens. It's fast, all the Tea is spilled rapidly and feeling rushed, although I can also imagine complaints about this book being too long if it kept the pace (IOW maybe we could have cut down all the withdrawal/family drama bits since they're pretty much the same over time in the present day).
-The transition between past and present wasn't necessarily jarring except for how it occurred so abruptly (even on audio). Based on the characters involved I figured out which era we were in, but maybe chapter/headings for those transitions would be helpful. It was probably easier with audio than text/digitial
-The ending just kinda happens. It's fast, all the Tea is spilled rapidly and feeling rushed, although I can also imagine complaints about this book being too long if it kept the pace (IOW maybe we could have cut down all the withdrawal/family drama bits since they're pretty much the same over time in the present day).
Cred Rating 😛: Suspended disbelief with plausible moments. Just read it going with the flow and don't overthink. Some of the obvious questions are answered in a way that relies on magical realism to keep up, but it isn't OTT magical. Hard to say more w/o spoiling it all.
Mood Reading Match Up:
-Dark psychological mystery
-Guatemalan family history and experiencing culture from afar
-Unreliable narrator trope with contemporary fiction and mental illness elements
-Coming of age friendship drama
-Dark psychological mystery
-Guatemalan family history and experiencing culture from afar
-Unreliable narrator trope with contemporary fiction and mental illness elements
-Coming of age friendship drama
Content Heads-Up: Adult/minor relationship. Self-medicating with alcohol and pills.
Format: Library Audio via Libby
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness
savheath's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse and Death of parent