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mmajer's review against another edition
2.0
Peter Swanson is one of my absolute favorite authors and I was so excited for this book to come out. Sadly this one just didn't do it for me. I think my expectations for this were just off because of what I'm used to from his books. The pacing of his books is what I think makes them so exciting, even when I've figured everything out, he's great at building up the suspense. I just felt like this one focused almost solely on the relationships between the characters (which is not a problem, I was just prepared for a thriller!). The problem I did have was I wasn't really bothered by the big age difference as I know some reviewers have been, it was more-so it being the main focus of the novel. If you like slow burning books that focus more on the character than the action, this will definitely be a good one for you!
Spoiler
that almost every character in the book was involved in relations with someone of a significant age difference. Since it was practically everyone, it came off as gimmicky.copascribe's review against another edition
2.0
Eh. It was something to listen to while I crawl out of a reading slump. Mediocre characters made it hard to care about the plot, but it was just enough to keep me half-listening to the end. Lines like describing a "hacking cough that didn't sound healthy" had me scratching my head at times (when does a hacking cough sound healthy?). There were plenty of those gems scattered about, which really took me out of the story or had me rolling my eyes. Overall, not really impressed with my first Swanson, but I'm open to giving him one more chance with The Kind Worth Saving.
rihana_otto's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
dremmavendetta's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol