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wondernaut55's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Strong Points: Characters, compelling setup, intrapersonal relationships, and themes
Weak Points: Not really many stakes to stick to the mystery until we got to a little past the halfway point - if we’re breaking this up into 4 acts, act 2 bogged down pretty quickly, and act 3 started strong but like a rollercoaster it dropped hard. I also felt like our villain’s motive was pretty weak and didnt unravel the mystery in the most satisfying way. However, the theme carried that on its back, and I loved the wrap-up for it.
Graphic: Violence, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Confinement, Torture, Cursing, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Stalking, Death, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, and Physical abuse
readingella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Domestic abuse
wylanslcve's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
1) the romance in this felt underdeveloped and frankly a bit forced. the chemistry between the two characters comes out of nowhere given how their dynamic never really changes over the course of the book, and even though it was sweet I didn't really care for it because of how little relationship development there is between them. they still felt like strangers to each other (at least, from my perspective) and it seemed like the only reason they were even paired with each other is because the love interest was the only age-appropriate person within bel's proximity.
2) I had a similar issue with some of jackson's other books (namely a good girl's guide to murder since the structure of the reappearance of rachel price is more similar to that than five survive), but it felt like most of the people were giving information up way too easily. I know bel is characterised as a persistent, "doesn't take no for an answer" type of person, but the way people were giving her the information she needed almost instantaneously without bel having to put up much of a fight felt extremely unrealistic to me. I get it, it's fiction, it's ya, it's meant to be unrealistic, but it still bothered me.
regardless, this book did not disappoint and holly jackson remains an instant-read author for me!
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Death, Torture, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
cursedkirst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Dementia and Child abuse
no_prince_here's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I just personally didn’t vibe with the narrator, felt like she was phoning it in and it was distracting to me.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy