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heather_boo's review against another edition
4.0
4.5. What a villain! It’s not every day that the serial killer is a turn of the century female immigrant from Norway looking for a better life. But she really actually was!! Apparently, this remains a mystery even today. At first, I did not know what to expect from the main character (her name changes several times for good reason). I thought she was going to be of weak character. I was wrong. Getting into her headspace, that of a psychopath, the author showed reasoning and justification for her grisly actions that even had her closest relatives turning the other cheek.
emilyalsop's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kmparsons's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fast-paced and engaging. I enjoyed the writing style and the story was fascinating. That being said, it was so incredibly inaccurate. I understand that it is historical fiction, but honestly the author should have changed the names of the characters and said it was loosely based off of Belle Gunness. I am no expert on her or her life, but I have watched a few YouTube videos on her and read a couple articles (way before even hearing of this book) and even I know the inaccuracies that are present.
I am most annoyed at the author’s attempt to humanize and sympathize with Belle. She is, arguably, someone who shouldn’t and maybe can’t be humanized or empathized with. Some people are just bad people, especially those who kill children.
Overall, it was well written and I enjoyed the story for what it was, a story, but it was too inaccurate for my liking.
I am most annoyed at the author’s attempt to humanize and sympathize with Belle. She is, arguably, someone who shouldn’t and maybe can’t be humanized or empathized with. Some people are just bad people, especially those who kill children.
Overall, it was well written and I enjoyed the story for what it was, a story, but it was too inaccurate for my liking.
sarahliz061's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jmg42017's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
It’s rather gruesome.
linshollo's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
divinemistake's review against another edition
4.0
As a lover of revenge stories, especially those with a woman at the blunt end of a knife, this story had me in a chokehold. Every single time, I wondered if Bella would be able to stop this time, even though I knew she would not. It's a wonder how easily something sinister and evil can turn into normal and even pitiful through the right narrative.
While I loved this novel's story and character, I was challenged by how much it seemed to run on and on. At times, it felt like a slog to read through all of the internals, the back-and-forth that both Bella and Nellie had. By the end, I started to skim most of the description and prose because we'd already read the same thing over and over.
Still a wonderful book, highly enjoyable.
While I loved this novel's story and character, I was challenged by how much it seemed to run on and on. At times, it felt like a slog to read through all of the internals, the back-and-forth that both Bella and Nellie had. By the end, I started to skim most of the description and prose because we'd already read the same thing over and over.
Still a wonderful book, highly enjoyable.
krista_mae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kepps's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25