Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

12 reviews

sophieamreacher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Good atmosphere, didn’t guess the twist, rooted for main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

olivesnook33's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.25

I don't know what, exactly, I was expecting but it wasn't a repeat of the first book but somehow not as good. The premise of this book is just as promising as The Sanatorium. There is an old place, an evil place, a place that doesn't want humans there. But that place has little relevance to the paper-thin plot. I want to feel something with these books. Everything is there for what usually makes me fall in love with characters and places and themes but.....it's feeling like someone dumped mystery-thriller-detective puzzle pieces out on the table, didn't bother to flip them over, and forced them together. 

To say the overall plot was loose is an understatement. Elin grew as a character....between books. It was jarring to me that she was suddenly thrust back into her work and was feeling rather confident. Don't get me wrong, I was glad for the change but was expecting a more middling piece of character development. Using her experiences from The Sanatorium to help her solve this case. 

And, oh, what a case this could have been. It was truly made up of everything I love in a crime thriller but, to me, poorly executed. 

I really, really, really want to love this series. And I will stubbornly give the next book a listen when it comes out because there is truly so much potential here. I want to know more but I don't know if this is truly the series for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

renee_rain's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

4.0

This book is a sequel to The Sanotorium. Though I have read it, I didn't realize it was a continuation until after I finished this book. I guess Elim was not memorable for me.

This is a solid mystery/thriller. That being said, there is a lot of information to keep track of. There are three periods of time that occur on the island: a school with traumatic history, an Outward Bound center with a series of murders, and the present at a retreat center. The Leger family has past events that become relevant to the plot. There is a continuation of threats to Elim.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chaos of the book. I had no trouble keeping up with the characters, their relations, and backstories. The explanations of why people did what they did felt believable to me.

Except Jo. I know she was having an affair with Hana's boyfriend, but how can someone callously leave him at an accident like that? What if he could have been saved? Could it have been explained that they had become friends? Though this does provide Maya some clarity.

I plan to read the next book in the series though I really do need closure on some things.

What is going on with the Hayler case? What actually happened to Elim's brother, Sam? Who is threatening Elim? What will happen with Elim's relationship with Will? I wouldn't be sad if it ended. She appears to have a stronger connection with his sister.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death and Death of parent

alisonannk's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, and Mental illness

bekah1210's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

chapterobsessed's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

typedtruths's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

➸ Trigger warnings for parental abandonment recounted, infidelity mentioned, panic attacks (on-page), alcohol consumption, depiction of dead bodies, grief and loss depiction, death of a brother from drowning mentioned, murder and attempted murder, death of a boyfriend recounted, death from a fall, physical assault, kidnapping, incarceration mentioned, and housefire recounted in which the protagonist's cousin sustained severe burns which caused a stroke and permanent brain damage.

ashleyvharris's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

1.5

Not super compelling. Didn’t hold my interest. Forgettable characters. Literally cannot remember their names as I write this. Connection between the guests and the island’s past seemed flimsy at best. Setting felt a bit out of place. Felt a bit like The Chestnut Man but not as suspenseful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

kirstym25's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

_terah_hansen_'s review against another edition

adventurous 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury