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jamieann123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Stalking
imzadi481's review
2.0
Please note that there are a TON of trigger warnings you might need to look up.
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Death of parent
brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
peppermary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
kshy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death, Blood, and Alcohol
caitlinsenko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Rape
honestlyholly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved the range of characters, all of which seem to have a dark side to them, which makes for interesting reading. The ending fell a little flat for me, but I appreciated the realism of it. I do wish we had seen more of what happened to the guy at the end (no spoilers). Does he get away with it?
My favourite part was Angelo the cat, because I am a crazy cat lady.
Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
katietotallybooked's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
From the first few pages of this book, I was hooked. This book is set in the Finchley Road/Swiss Cottage/Hampstead neighbourhood of North London, UK. For those that don't know, that's where I lived when I lived in London in 2012-2013! So this book felt familiar to me and I was able to visualize the setting descriptions so well. There were references to restaurants that I remember, and the Finchley Road tube station stairs (which I actually tripped up and had HORRIBLE bruises on my shins from). From the author bio, I found out that Lisa Jewell currently lives in Swiss Cottage, which immediately built a connection for me to her as an author.
However, the actual story took me a bit longer to get into, and I think that was because of the multiple POVs. When a book has that feature, it takes longer for me to get into it. I find I have to read a couple of each character's perspective to really get a sense of what's going on.
The last 100 pages are what took this book from a 4 to 4.5 star. It ended in a way that I was not expecting, and I love that! Not that ever actively try to predict a thriller's ending, but when it's so unexpected that the events wouldn't even cross my mind, it's a winner!
What kept this book at 4.5 rating for me was that slow, and at times confusing, start to the book. And the foul language. I can handle that, but I'm definitely not a fan of it.
I will certainly read more of Lisa Jewell's books. I've added practically her whole backlist to my TBR.
I would recommend checking out this book if you are looking for a thriller with a web of characters centered around a family, and if you are okay with the darker/heavier themes. This book deals with assault, both physical and sexual, and the disappearance of a teenage girl. It's dark and not for the faint of heart.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Physical abuse
Foul Language