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shel_bay11's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
avachristinem's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.75
This was so messed up and at times problematic BUT I couldn’t put it down
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
thereadhersrecap's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Helen has a picture-perfect life. A handsome husband, a beautiful Victorian home in the park, and a new baby on the way. Everything changes when she attends her first prenatal class and meets the wine drinking, cigarette smoking, mysterious Rachel Wells. What Helen really needed at that moment was a friend, and Rachel had perfect timing.
“It occurs to me how grateful I have been for Rachel’s companionship. I find myself admiring her. She is so upbeat about it all.”
But Rachel is not what she seems. She is unstable, unpredictable, and unsettling. Helen starts to become wary when she discovers missing items amongst Rachel’s things. It’s apparent that Rachel is harboring secrets, and Helen is determined to uncover them.
So I haven’t read a thriller in a whiiiile.
This one did not disappoint. The storyline follows Helen’s pregnancy from 24 weeks at the start of her prenatal classes. It's told from three different perspectives. I think it adds to the mystery because you don’t know who is telling the true story. It’s very easy to follow. The scenes were descriptive and I was able to guess the ending but I thought the author did a great job with detailing the chain of events.
I don’t want to give away too much, but this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys crime and thriller novels. I also think it's really good for anyone who wants to get into thrillers but can’t stomach the graphic details on death and dying.
“It occurs to me how grateful I have been for Rachel’s companionship. I find myself admiring her. She is so upbeat about it all.”
But Rachel is not what she seems. She is unstable, unpredictable, and unsettling. Helen starts to become wary when she discovers missing items amongst Rachel’s things. It’s apparent that Rachel is harboring secrets, and Helen is determined to uncover them.
So I haven’t read a thriller in a whiiiile.
This one did not disappoint. The storyline follows Helen’s pregnancy from 24 weeks at the start of her prenatal classes. It's told from three different perspectives. I think it adds to the mystery because you don’t know who is telling the true story. It’s very easy to follow. The scenes were descriptive and I was able to guess the ending but I thought the author did a great job with detailing the chain of events.
I don’t want to give away too much, but this is a must-read for anyone who enjoys crime and thriller novels. I also think it's really good for anyone who wants to get into thrillers but can’t stomach the graphic details on death and dying.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Violence
whatellieread's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There was nothing wrong with this book per se, I just struggled to connect with it. I found all of the characters to be quite unlikable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - I just would've preferred there to have been at least one or two characters I did like or did connect with in some way, particularly when - for a thriller - this is quite character-driven.
There were a few twists and turns throughout, but I feel the author did give quite a lot of clues making many of them relatively easy to guess. There were still many elements of this book I did enjoy, however. I'm always a fan of multiple perspectives and this is something that Faulkner executed well.
I know I can be quite a harsh critic when it comes to thrillers because I've read so many, and so many GOOD ones - but, unfortunately, this one was no more than an average read for me.
There were a few twists and turns throughout, but I feel the author did give quite a lot of clues making many of them relatively easy to guess. There were still many elements of this book I did enjoy, however. I'm always a fan of multiple perspectives and this is something that Faulkner executed well.
I know I can be quite a harsh critic when it comes to thrillers because I've read so many, and so many GOOD ones - but, unfortunately, this one was no more than an average read for me.
Graphic: Rape and Violence
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