Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

7 reviews

sophieamreacher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

5.0

Disturbing, riveting, intense. Loved it, it made me paranoid.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty

maddireads13's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I feel like 2.75 is very harsh, it's just that I was expecting this thriller to be darker and more entertaining and it was just a huge letdown. There wasn't much thrill or suspense throughout the book; I just found myself trudging along most of it. Don't get me wrong I felt the portrayal of a woman's resilience and a mother's desire to protect her kids was wonderfully depicted. And I found her need for running and surviving to be very plausible. However, I was just so bored the whole time. Also, for a character that's always on the edge about trusting she was very eager to trust a guy just because he fixed her roof and treats her kids well. 

I saw the twist with Mr. Cade a mile away.

  I understand why others make it like this book, but this isn't what I seek when reading thrillers. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Grief

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Torture, and Grief

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Classism

andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Torture, Violence, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Grief, and Gaslighting

greatestheights's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

4.5 stars and PHEW what a ride. This was exactly the kind of thriller I've been craving — well-written, good character development, tension, and a satisfying conclusion. I immediately found the next book in the series and will be starting it immediately.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

whitneyonline's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

What really sold me on the 5-star rating was the ending. I enjoyed how it was almost a psychological thriller - Gwen literally cannot trust anyone, but she also knows she can't keep ripping up her kids, moving from town to town. But is staying in one place truly safe...?

The last 15% was so jam-packed with tension and action written so well, I could picture it crystal clear in my head. I was clinging to every word, reading furiously to see what would happen. This book also struck me as feminist, which I enjoyed. While I still have some questions regarding certain characters, they don't detract from the overall experience and my questions might be answered in the next book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, and Murder