lectora21's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, and War
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Kidnapping, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Suicide
Minor: War and Infertility
momochi_19's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Grief
seekittyread's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I desperately wanted to love this book. Unfortunately the author's casual disregard of the abuses of adoption and medically forced deliveries ruined it. The characters were beautiful and the story had great promise, but I found the abuses and inaccuracies a downer.
I think it important that it is made clear that a cord being wrapped around the neck during childbirth is a common occurance and not a fatal one. I believe the author's use of this as a manor to further plot quite distasteful and probably led her own miseducation due to gaslighting by the medical industry. Parents who seek out doctors are led to believe that a cord around the neck is fatal and a baby only survives due to the "greatness" of the abusive doctor they have hired to deliver their babies. In reality fatalities due to a cord being rapped around the neck are minimal and most often happen before the baby can be born. Cords wrapped around the neck are simply slipped off by mother after birth during natural births when doctors and the overbearing hands are not involved. I would encourage this author to research more about the abuses of medically led deliveries before casting it as the normal and right way for babies to enter the world.
I think it important that it is made clear that a cord being wrapped around the neck during childbirth is a common occurance and not a fatal one. I believe the author's use of this as a manor to further plot quite distasteful and probably led her own miseducation due to gaslighting by the medical industry. Parents who seek out doctors are led to believe that a cord around the neck is fatal and a baby only survives due to the "greatness" of the abusive doctor they have hired to deliver their babies. In reality fatalities due to a cord being rapped around the neck are minimal and most often happen before the baby can be born. Cords wrapped around the neck are simply slipped off by mother after birth during natural births when doctors and the overbearing hands are not involved. I would encourage this author to research more about the abuses of medically led deliveries before casting it as the normal and right way for babies to enter the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Pregnancy, Death, Infertility, Medical trauma, Sexism, Child death, Medical content, Mental illness, Child abuse, Grief, and War
Warning for misrepresentation of the "benefits" of adoption and for the promotion of abusive medical deliveries.crufts's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
A big old shrug for this mystery novel. Between characters that I didn't find especially interesting or unusual, a bulky cast of named characters, more than three interwoven narratives at different time periods, and reams and reams of exposition and description, The Lake House didn't leave much of an impression on me.
The central mystery is decent, but it unfolded much too slowly; I think the pacing would be better if the novel were cut to about two-thirds of its 595 pages.
The central mystery is decent, but it unfolded much too slowly; I think the pacing would be better if the novel were cut to about two-thirds of its 595 pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Infidelity
bexdubyah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Infertility
rowiash's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is not for everyone, but it was right up my alley; the slow buildup, multi-faceted characters, and twists and turns as new clues lead to new theories made for an enjoyable summer evening read. The vast majority of those twists felt earned by careful groundwork laid along the way, though one in particular was a bit out of nowhere - but by that point I was already invested and gave it a pass for brightening a fairly tragic story. Themes of motherhood and identity, especially in regard to Eleanor, really hit home for me and made it seem like the author had something to say beyond the mystery plot itself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and Child death
Minor: Miscarriage
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