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scanales28's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.0
dilcialemus's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I liked how the book included facts of the real life axe murders. I loved Enzo’s character but for some reason I just really hated the main character. Idk why I’m like this but her decisions made me want to throw punches
librarian_erinn's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
janagaton's review
3.0
Low 3 for this one because I wasn't fully engaged until the end where all the action happened. This poor girl's hand is all im saying lol. Also, you can really tell that Bryce Moore has some opinions about masks during covid
melbsreads's review
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content warnings: blood, gore, murder, body horror, death of a parent, pandemic, grief, mentions of war, medical trauma, xenophobia, xenophobic slurs
I read and loved Moore's last foray into a historical thriller inspired by true events - The Perfect Place to Die - a year or so ago and was hooked from the get-go. So I was THRILLED when I saw that he'd published this one. There's just something so clever about the way he mixes fiction and actual events while remaining sympathetic to the stories of the actual victims.
This one was, perhaps, slightly less compelling than the first for me, if only because I knew little about the case itself. But the combination of murder and the flu pandemic and a slight hint of magic/paranormal worked effectively. I liked the characters, and while there were times when this was a tad slower than I would have liked, I really enjoyed it nonetheless.
I read and loved Moore's last foray into a historical thriller inspired by true events - The Perfect Place to Die - a year or so ago and was hooked from the get-go. So I was THRILLED when I saw that he'd published this one. There's just something so clever about the way he mixes fiction and actual events while remaining sympathetic to the stories of the actual victims.
This one was, perhaps, slightly less compelling than the first for me, if only because I knew little about the case itself. But the combination of murder and the flu pandemic and a slight hint of magic/paranormal worked effectively. I liked the characters, and while there were times when this was a tad slower than I would have liked, I really enjoyed it nonetheless.
sam556889's review
3.0
I wasn't blown away by this book but it also was an entertaining read to start spooky season. I would say it leaned into a horror book rather than a mystery or thriller. Some of the subtopics in this book including the influenza pandemic are part of what made this book enjoyable. I would say that the subplots were what made the book rather than the main supernatural or horror elements. So if you choose to pick this book up I would have an open mind.
ashlee_fuchs0530's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
dblue236's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
This was the second book I've read by this author, and I've come to really enjoy his style of writing regardless of the fact that both books followed a fairly similar "young female badass singlehandedly takes out evil monster" formula. The basis in true events makes it entertaining in a whole new way, and while they're clearly not entirely in line with what actually happened, they're close enough that it's clear a fair amount of research went into the writing. I think for the most part I preferred The Perfect Place To Die over this one, but this is another solid effort from this author and I look forward to more books from him in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
wombat_88's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
xxcharityxx's review
3.0
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I loved the historical aspects and how accurately everything is portrayed. It's a great thing when an author does their research. And I thought the attacks/murder were written well, which was great. A couple of scenes at the end actually had me closing the book for a moment, specifically the scene with the spindle. However, I wasn't able to connect with the characters as much as I wanted to, and the ending was pretty anticlimactic.