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theaceofpages's review against another edition
dark
slow-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? Yes
3.5
It's new years eve and there are two parties happening. One attended by two best friends and one hosted by their daughters. When Jennifer doesn't return home and is reported missing, the search begins. Friendships and relationships are tested as it becomes obvious that everyone has things to hide.
I quite enjoyed the reading experience but overall this was just... okay? And yeah, mysteries and thrillers don't have to be anything spectacular but even by those standards this was pretty average. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't like the ending. I don't know how much this was influenced by the constantly switching perspectives or even the translation, but what happened and the way it was written was a bit of a let down. I also felt like certain aspects of dysfunctional relationships were maybe brought up a bit too often. There was a lot of inner monologue stuff going on and given how plain yet unlikable all the characters were (not an inherently bad thing of course!) it just didn't do as much as I hoped. This could be the translation to some extent, but the same content (which I think could have been trimmed down with regards to some aspects of what was happening and very much fleshed out for others) would have been present in the original so it probably goes beyond that. While what was happening was interesting enough to keep my interest, I do think it could have been stronger.
I quite enjoyed the reading experience but overall this was just... okay? And yeah, mysteries and thrillers don't have to be anything spectacular but even by those standards this was pretty average. It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't like the ending. I don't know how much this was influenced by the constantly switching perspectives or even the translation, but what happened and the way it was written was a bit of a let down. I also felt like certain aspects of dysfunctional relationships were maybe brought up a bit too often. There was a lot of inner monologue stuff going on and given how plain yet unlikable all the characters were (not an inherently bad thing of course!) it just didn't do as much as I hoped. This could be the translation to some extent, but the same content (which I think could have been trimmed down with regards to some aspects of what was happening and very much fleshed out for others) would have been present in the original so it probably goes beyond that. While what was happening was interesting enough to keep my interest, I do think it could have been stronger.
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Infertility, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, and Murder