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kaitlynisliterate's Reviews (466)
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pros
+ I completely understand why this is a classic
+ The characters are so well written
+ Great worldbuilding and magical realism.
Cons
- The younger brother, Charles, is written in like a very stereotypical "genius kid" and his dialogue is a bit too much sometimes
+ I completely understand why this is a classic
+ The characters are so well written
+ Great worldbuilding and magical realism.
Cons
- The younger brother, Charles, is written in like a very stereotypical "genius kid" and his dialogue is a bit too much sometimes
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pros
+ Interesting premise
+ Good execution of multiple POVs and time jumps
Cons
- The author tries too hard to set everything up for a perfect reveal but it makes the first half of the book quite boring
- After the big reveal, all of the plot twists are fairly predictable
+ Interesting premise
+ Good execution of multiple POVs and time jumps
Cons
- The author tries too hard to set everything up for a perfect reveal but it makes the first half of the book quite boring
- After the big reveal, all of the plot twists are fairly predictable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pros
+ I liked the French police officers/detectives
Cons
- Was hoping for a lot more. The plot twist was boring and the ending was predictable.
- It's pretty easy to figure out who the 'main character' is since they're the focus of the other three.
- Could have been shorter, the hike itself (before anything happens) takes up too many pages.
+ I liked the French police officers/detectives
Cons
- Was hoping for a lot more. The plot twist was boring and the ending was predictable.
- It's pretty easy to figure out who the 'main character' is since they're the focus of the other three.
- Could have been shorter, the hike itself (before anything happens) takes up too many pages.
Pros
+ I love the fact that the main character is a defense attorney in a legal thriller
+ Great plot twists
Cons
- The chess metaphor got tired very quickly. Also, unrealistic inner monologue when playing, not how anyone (especially a former prodigy) thinks about their moves.
+ I love the fact that the main character is a defense attorney in a legal thriller
+ Great plot twists
Cons
- The chess metaphor got tired very quickly. Also, unrealistic inner monologue when playing, not how anyone (especially a former prodigy) thinks about their moves.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stick around and read the afterword. It’s worth it, I promise.
Pros
+ The main character, Tess, repeating the same routine every morning set the perfect suspenseful tone. The reader slowly discovers the truth while Tess is kept in the dark.
+ THE PLOT TWISTS! Really kept me at the edge of my seat and totally reframed the story each time one was revealed.
Cons
- The last chapter really ruined things by trying to neatly solve all of Tess' problems
+ The main character, Tess, repeating the same routine every morning set the perfect suspenseful tone. The reader slowly discovers the truth while Tess is kept in the dark.
+ THE PLOT TWISTS! Really kept me at the edge of my seat and totally reframed the story each time one was revealed.
Cons
- The last chapter really ruined things by trying to neatly solve all of Tess' problems
Pros
+ I liked that there were two clear suspects (Shane and Tim) and it kept you guessing which one it was. Rather than having one clear suspect for most of the book and then a last-minute real villain.
Cons
- The main character, Brooke, makes the worst decisions possible and manages to confuse herself and everyone else.
- Lots of thriller clichés such as super-fast trials, storms causing road blockages, no cell service, random DNA evidence appearing, etc
- Why does McFadden always have the mom involved in the most ridiculous way?
- The explanations for why the alternate suspect was innocent (given conveniently by the actual murderer's mother) are so unbelievable.
+ I liked that there were two clear suspects (Shane and Tim) and it kept you guessing which one it was. Rather than having one clear suspect for most of the book and then a last-minute real villain.
Cons
- The main character, Brooke, makes the worst decisions possible and manages to confuse herself and everyone else.
- Lots of thriller clichés such as super-fast trials, storms causing road blockages, no cell service, random DNA evidence appearing, etc
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- The explanations for why the alternate suspect was innocent
Pros
+ Entertaining and fast-paced
+ THE LAST CHAPTER
Cons
- Huge wasted potential
- I like an unreliable narrator as much as the next person but why completely retcon the first half of the book? We are literally reading April's internal monologue as she thinks that she is totally innocent of embezzlement when she isn't. She also begins suspecting her new neighbor, Maria, of killing the former elderly owner of the house but she committed the murder herself. Why would she lie to herself within her own mind? It goes beyond a case of self-delusion (such as the run-down nursing home that she thinks is totally great). We never return to April's POV either so it really feels pointless.
+ Entertaining and fast-paced
+ THE LAST CHAPTER
Cons
- Huge wasted potential
- I like an unreliable narrator as much as the next person but why completely retcon the first half of the book? We are literally reading April's internal monologue as she thinks that
Pros
+ Entertaining, fast-paced thriller
Cons
- The main character, Abby, acts so naive, seemingly only to stall the plot and frustrate the reader.
- Abby's husband is even worse because he literally doesn't notice what Monica is doing and completely downplays his wife's feelings.
- Almost the entire book is spent developing the fact that Monica wants Abby's husband which we have already been told in the premise of the book. It's not very interesting and only showcases the total idiocy of Abby and her husband.
- The "plot twists" didn't actually change anything substantial or reframe the entire story. The surrogate, Monica, is actually a former student of Abby's husband who became obsessed with him. But I mean, why does this matter? It wouldn't have changed anything if Monica wasn't a former student but just saw her husband on the street and became obsessed.
- Freida McFadden ALWAYS involves the mother of the villain as part of the plot twist and it never makes sense.
+ Entertaining, fast-paced thriller
Cons
- The main character, Abby, acts so naive, seemingly only to stall the plot and frustrate the reader.
- Abby's husband is even worse because he literally doesn't notice what Monica is doing and completely downplays his wife's feelings.
- Almost the entire book is spent developing the fact that Monica wants Abby's husband which we have already been told in the premise of the book. It's not very interesting and only showcases the total idiocy of Abby and her husband.
- The "plot twists" didn't actually change anything substantial or reframe the entire story.
-
Pros
+ Fast-paced quick read
Cons
- Could see the plot twists coming from a mile away
- I feel like this exact premise has been done multiple times (woman hired to attend to injured wife with charming husband) and has become very tired
- The main character, Sylvia, is so annoying and her internal monologue became very irritating (especially since the plot twist was so obvious)
- How long could the diary possibly be considering it fits into a standard journal? Why does it take Sylvia so long to read it, especially when she starts suspecting something is wrong?
- WHY IS HER EX SUDDENLY THE HERO? WHY DOES SHE GET BACK TOGETHER WITH HIM? THIS IS NEVER EXPLAINED
+ Fast-paced quick read
Cons
- Could see the plot twists coming from a mile away
- I feel like this exact premise has been done multiple times (woman hired to attend to injured wife with charming husband) and has become very tired
- The main character, Sylvia, is so annoying and her internal monologue became very irritating (especially since the plot twist was so obvious)
- How long could the diary possibly be considering it fits into a standard journal? Why does it take Sylvia so long to read it, especially when she starts suspecting something is wrong?
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