The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
thewellreadlabrador's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty and Pandemic/Epidemic
minimicropup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Restless, dubious, instinctive.
Our MC (an obituary writer) was the sole survivor of a family massacre as a teen and is returning to the community where it occurred to care for their elderly aunt and fix the house they inherited.
🇺🇸 Set in Avalon on Catalina Island, California, USA, mostly in March 2020 with snippets of June 2001
🐺🐕 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags:
😀 The writing style is very show, not tell. We are thrown in the story and have to figure it out as we go with stream of consciousness bits from Colette, our MC. It can be jarring at first but over time I found it effective for making us feel like we are getting to know her in a natural way, like when meeting someone for the first time. Since it is a character driven story if could be hard to stick with if you don't like Colette or care about what happens to her (and it could be awhile before you figure that out!)
🤔 On a similar note, the suspense is largely from Colette's mindset and interpretations...seemingly innocuous interactions or observations make her feel on edge and then we start to feel that atmosphere and come to see the threatening undercurrent around her too. Again, it kind of relies on caring about what happens to Colette though, otherwise could be hard to stay engaged.
🤔 On a similar note, the suspense is largely from Colette's mindset and interpretations...seemingly innocuous interactions or observations make her feel on edge and then we start to feel that atmosphere and come to see the threatening undercurrent around her too. Again, it kind of relies on caring about what happens to Colette though, otherwise could be hard to stay engaged.
🤷♀️ I predicted the culprits and there is a bit of convenient blindness to Colette about people in her life (like she over analyzes some while implicitly trusting others). I think it's largely explained by her PTSD and loneliness though.
😕 There was a hit of villain monologue describing the nasty scheming in great detail, but It wasn't like that character just flipped personalities suddenly so it didn't feel too contrived. That could also make it predictable early on for some.
😰😔 This was s surprisingly sad and stressful read for me! I was rooting for Colette as our reluctant hero and the isolation was building around her. From lack of support and being on an island where getting on or off is so dependent on the weather, to the grief and early COVID anxiety. Then Colette has to face threats, stalking, direct and systemic racism. It was anxiety-inducing, I had to take breaks but wanted to keep reading.
😕 There was a hit of villain monologue describing the nasty scheming in great detail, but It wasn't like that character just flipped personalities suddenly so it didn't feel too contrived. That could also make it predictable early on for some.
😰😔 This was s surprisingly sad and stressful read for me! I was rooting for Colette as our reluctant hero and the isolation was building around her. From lack of support and being on an island where getting on or off is so dependent on the weather, to the grief and early COVID anxiety. Then Colette has to face threats, stalking, direct and systemic racism. It was anxiety-inducing, I had to take breaks but wanted to keep reading.
Mood Reading Match Up:
- Psychological thriller character study interwoven with the experience of systemic racism, trauma of survivor's guilt, and being Black in America
- Family and friend drama with a can-they-make-it-work, stuck-together romance
- Serial killer who-to-trust murder mystery in an isolated-ish island small-community setting
- Themes and commentary on prejudice, racism, conscious and unconscious bias, and entitlement
Content Heads-Up: Murder. Death of family. Alcohol use. Racism (prejudice, slurs, systemic, persecution). COVID-19 (pre-pandemic uncertainty, early lockdown). Ageism. Poisoning. Confinement. Violence (weapons). False accusation. Home invasion. Threats/stalker. Domestic abuse/toxic relationship. Mental health (PTSD, anxiety, panic).
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Stalking
Minor: Confinement, Alcohol, Drug use, and Domestic abuse
xmeganlowe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Such a unique story and a great two mysteries. There was never a point where I thought I had it figured out cause you never knew who to trust!! More and more secrets came to light as the book went on and the end was a MAJOR plot twist.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because it was a little tough to get into in the beginning as it read a little slow as you gathered the background on the characters. At times, it felt like the pandemic was irrelevant to the story but at the end I do see how that made sense because it really gives you the understanding of the state of society.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because it was a little tough to get into in the beginning as it read a little slow as you gathered the background on the characters. At times, it felt like the pandemic was irrelevant to the story but at the end I do see how that made sense because it really gives you the understanding of the state of society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, and Kidnapping
3readingcircus's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Stalking
Moderate: Grief, Dementia, Gaslighting, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Gun violence
Minor: Cancer, Deportation, and Racial slurs
braveprincess11's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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
4.5
4 1/2 ⭐️
An obituary writer returns to the island where her family was murdered 19 years earlier, and ends up entangled in a new string of “mysterious deaths.”
This is my first novel by Rachel Howell Hall, and it certainly won’t be my last. This is such a fresh take on what I would describe as a domestic thriller - it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Opening the book with Collette’s own obituary, and then beginning each chapter with the current date and time created a sense of urgency parallel to the urgency felt from the increasing body count in Avalon. The entire time, we as readers, are able to count down the days left in Collette’s life right alongside her, adding to the tension. Her use of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to create forced proximity, establishing a reason why Collette isn’t able to flee Catalina Island, is one that I haven’t seen before. The amount of misdirection and red herrings throughout the book made it so that I was suspicious of everyone Colette came into contact with, and yet the reveal was still a total surprise.
The only thing keeping this from being a 5 star book for me, bumping it down to 4 1/2, is that the ending felt a bit rushed. The transition from the final chapter to the epilogue was somewhat jarring, with everything suddenly neat and tidy - no more deaths, no more corruption, justice served, penance repaid.
It also was a bit too convenient for me that both Flynn and Noah survived. Noah in particular, especially after bleeding out in the cellar for an unspecified amount of time. Fighting for his life, maybe. But “recovering” felt like a choice made specifically so that Colette could still have one more stable and happy thing after her harrowing experience. I understand why it was done, it just wasn’t a choice I would have made.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racial slurs, and Gun violence
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