Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

56 reviews

helgag's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such a dark world that’s been created so definitely look at the trigger warnings. But I was captivated by Maya’s story and had to know what happened 
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xb_hopex's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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burmoodk's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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treythethird's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is one of the darkest books I have ever read. It is compelling and well written and so engaging. And … I need an adult. 
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hurricanealicia's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

To me this started slow but picked up into part 2 and finished strong. This plot was so weird and dark but has so many beautiful moments too. I liked the representation of chosen family and the depth of the Gardener and his sons and that power dynamic of needing his validation. I know some ppl don’t like the twist at the end but I personally did. I did not enjoy the pov switch from Inara first person to the other pov being just 3rd person. I get they wanted the contrast probably to represent her storytelling from them being in the “interview” but it read weird to me.
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spaghettii's review

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

1.0

Check the trigger warnings if you have literally anything that you want to avoid reading about

that ending was dumb asf. Like you're telling me her roommate escaped and left all the other girls to die?? Like how would he get custody of her child if he is caught for kidnapping children,,,,
Why was it written as if there was an unreliable narrator when she did not lie a single time??
I also don't get how she would've wanted the dude (Desmen?) to survive when he was complicit for 6 months and had to be convinced by the rape and kidnapping of a 12 year old just to call the police because he didn't want to upset his mom??
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scarfires's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was expecting this to be one of those thrillers that jumps straight in and punches you right in the scaredy bone. But actually it starts off more slow and sinister, building background before going too deep into fear.

Because of the structure of the story, with events being recalled rather than happening in real time, it frames things in a more emotional light, rather than focusing on tension or cheap scares. That paves the way for a focus on survival and strength, where it is the women who take centre stage. Of course there is horror woven in, but it is never the driver of the story.

Inara is an amazing protagonist and peeling the layers from her story over the course of the book just had me completely invested. I was surprised by how much I loved this book, apart from it feeling a little rushed at the end - there's a quite a reveal shoehorned into the final few pages that I would have liked more time with. But I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series.
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anisiaguerrero's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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lottipop_105's review against another edition

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

3.0

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