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A review by angelicathebookworm
Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found this particular crime fiction read to have a fairly realistic plot with really nice fast pacing. It centres around ‘disposable’ children and show’s society’s lack of interest when it comes to certain types of people. Hoffman highlights the very real dangers of the internet, especially for young people, in a way that’s fairly realistic but not condescending. It’s a very disturbing and descriptive read. Overall it’s a great crime fiction book with strong thriller and mystery elements but it’s also quite difficult to read in places down to the subject matter. The author began her career as an Assistant State Attorney and that previous knowledge really shines through the text which I really enjoyed. The characters on the whole are portrayed fairly realistically, their actions are not unusual and they have real flaws. The portrayal of the internet predator figure showcases him as despicable and somewhat frightening. Hoffman also managed to create a detective figure protagonist that’s quite different to many that I’ve come across in other police procedurals which makes for a refreshing read.
I would say if you’re big into reading crime fiction or mystery books then the whodunit reveal may not be much of a surprise for you as you may be able to figure out the killer beforehand like I managed to. I also disliked the majority of the plot’s ending. After the identity reveal the plot became quite odd and pretty unrealistic to me which is a shame considering how most of the plot felt previous to the ending. The final twist in the last few pages was also not much of a surprise to me but nevertheless, I still enjoyed it.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
I would say if you’re big into reading crime fiction or mystery books then the whodunit reveal may not be much of a surprise for you as you may be able to figure out the killer beforehand like I managed to. I also disliked the majority of the plot’s ending. After the identity reveal the plot became quite odd and pretty unrealistic to me which is a shame considering how most of the plot felt previous to the ending. The final twist in the last few pages was also not much of a surprise to me but nevertheless, I still enjoyed it.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder