Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

25 reviews

annabelle42688's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is basically a character study on the cycle of grooming through generations.
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sheamaryfitz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.25

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson is a twisted, unsettling "whodunit" that leans heavily into the author's signature themes of obsession, deceit, morality, and family. While the synopsis suggests Harry is the main character, this is really Alice’s story—how she got here, the choices she made, and the destruction left in her wake.

The novel unfolds through multiple shifting perspectives and a dual timeline (THEN vs. NOW), which keeps the reader off balance in a way that works well for this kind of psychological suspense. That said, it won’t be for everyone. Swanson doesn’t shy away from taboo relationships—there are age-gap dynamics, step-parent/step-child intimate relationships, and a generally uncomfortable undercurrent of predatory behavior throughout. If you've read The Kind Worth Killing, there is definitely a Lily vibe to a few of the characters, which is bound to make some readers squirm. The body count is high (as expected in a Swanson novel), and the story gets pretty dark.

Despite all that, I never felt fully engrossed in this one the way I have with Swanson’s other books. Maybe it’s because this is one of his earlier works and doesn’t feel as tightly executed, or maybe I just didn’t connect with the characters. It’s not bad—there are some solid twists I didn’t see coming—but it didn’t quite hook me the way I wanted it to.

I actually stumbled upon this book in a used bookstore during a recent trip to Richmond (which, oddly enough, feels like the kind of place Harry’s dad, Bill, would have enjoyed). That discovery alone made reading it a bit more fun, but in the end, it’s a middle-of-the-road Swanson for me. Dark, unsettling, and very twisty—but not my favorite.
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jillianjiggs7's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.75

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kyliejade322's review against another edition

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dark 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

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dremmavendetta's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

An impressive depiction of a truly traumatic series of grooming relationships. While I found none of the characters likable, I thought the portrait of sexual abuse was unflinching. Incest (even step- relationships) and grooming are far more prevalent in our society than we’d wish and, while I found this book hard to read at times, this attempt to detail the perversions of attachment that are ingrained in these relationships was a feat. 
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charmainslibrary's review against another edition

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mysterious
  • 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

1.5

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missgrangerr's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

One of the better or Swansons work. The alternating timelines are fascinating to read and the twist! Did not see it coming until a paragraph before it’s revealed. Ending was perfect.
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justkeyreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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

3.5

Wow, the amount of grooming, under age relationships that string together the characters in this book in almost unreal. Let's just add in obsession, revenge and murder and you have a pot of chaos and boundaries crossed. There were so many I dropped  my mouth opened when the twists were revealed though I figured it out earlier, because I mean really? It was almost to the point of being uncomfortable, but there was also murder. 
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cayleeguy's review against another edition

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sad slow-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

2.0

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mmitch10's review against another edition

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I couldn’t stand the people or  relationships in the book. 
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