Reviews with content warning for Violence - Nightwatching

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

30 reviews

kimberly_406's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Think about that moment when you wake up in the middle of the night and you almost don’t feel alone. The first thought that pops into your brain is “there is someone in the house,” as your heart sinks and your body rushes with pins and needles as it reacts to the fear. Those are also the first lines of this book which quickly throw you into the world where a mother is at home in a blizzard with her sleeping children when suddenly she hears a stranger walking around in her home. She quickly gathers up her kids and together they hide as the man begins to search the house taunting them and explaining how finding them will be “oh so delicious.”

Although it certainly starts off gripping, this book is not your typical fast paced thriller. It floats back and forth between the events of a mother’s worst nightmare and memories of her past that have caused her to feel powerless in her own life making her question every move she makes. The author does a great job at showing the reader how chaotic the mind can get when you are in a traumatic situation attempting to make split decisions that could be the difference between safety and the unimaginable. It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling.

It also touches on the issues women sometimes face when explaining or dealing with emotional situations many times being pinned as “irrational,” “crazy,” “hysterical,” or “fragile.” Although I do find these to be true issues women face, it did become a bit much when it was every single person the mother talked to. At certain points it seemed to take away from the thrill of the story.

Ultimately I did find this book very enjoyable and recommend it to anything who wants to feel uncomfortable and likes to question the reliability of every single character.

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brooke_berry's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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jackbifrost's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

4.0

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keberwick's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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sinsandscares's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎧 Narrated by Emily Ellet

Nightwatching is a gripping and deeply unsettling read. The opening chapter is pure terror. A mother, home alone with her children during a blizzard, faces an intruder. But the true horror unfolds after as she fights to be believed, to regain her children, and to even trust herself.

This book captures the hypervigilance women are forced to have, the way their concerns are dismissed as paranoia or attention-seeking. Sierra does a phenomenal job making the reader feel that firsthand. Even I found myself questioning the protagonist, wavering between doubt and belief right until the end.

Readers expecting nonstop action should know that while the first chapter is intense, the rest leans more into psychological suspense. The entire story is told through the mother’s inner monologue, which heightens the isolation but leaves other characters less fleshed out.

I listened to this on Libby, and Emily Ellet’s narration was fantastic. Her voice work, especially for “the Corner,” added so much depth.

This is not just a thriller but a sharp, unsettling reflection on fear, doubt, and the fight to be heard.

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kyndallkay's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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kvcatnip's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is a really difficult read, and therefore a really important one. A mother locked in her home with her two young children while an intruder tries to hurt them and the following events are horrific to read. And yet, they expertly express the way women are not believed. We are categorically told that we are overly sensitive, anxious, paranoid, and obsessive instead of believed. Small things matter to us, because we learn to look for things everywhere.

I cannot recommend this enough to every person who thinks they can emotionally or mentally handle it. This book deserves way more spotlight.

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