Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

7 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

ossington's review against another edition

dark mysterious

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Stalking

Minor: Confinement

j_squaredd's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

I hate every character she writes, but her plots are enough for me to keep going. The ending was still not the strongest but much better than The Sanitorium

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Mental illness

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

korpney's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

_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