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sydvaldez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Blood
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Sexual content, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
minimicropup's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Atmosphere: 👌 This story couldn’t have taken place anywhere else. The park and surrounding homes were a vital character, and the scenes brought to life so well - both for the environment and how people let their guard down in such familiar, communal settings.
Main POVs: 👌
-a parent with a 12 and 13 year old who is kind but distracted and exhausted, dealing with the hospitalization of their spouse who has paranoid schizophrenia
-a parent with one preteen and two teens who is well-meaning in homeschooling and insulating their family from the world, but results in them letting their guard down and missing glaring red flags. They are lenient with the hopes of their children growing up to be unashamedly their true selves…but they have never considered if those true selves may be rotten ones
-a 12 year old younger sibling who is observant, intuitive, and unfailingly loyal to their family but suspicious of strangers
Reading Journey: 👌
Riding through the neighbourhood in a golf cart on a crisp, relaxing summer day.
Show’n’tell: 👌 Perfect show - I wasn’t just in the characters heads I briefly became them. Includes a little map of the park and houses.
Great match if you like:
-neighbourhood mysteries
-dark cozy mystery
-coming-of-age drama
-nostalgic summer energy
-people giving off creepy vibes behind closed doors
-teens behaving badly
Vibes: 🙂😲ðŸ¤
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Main POVs: 👌
-a parent with a 12 and 13 year old who is kind but distracted and exhausted, dealing with the hospitalization of their spouse who has paranoid schizophrenia
-a parent with one preteen and two teens who is well-meaning in homeschooling and insulating their family from the world, but results in them letting their guard down and missing glaring red flags. They are lenient with the hopes of their children growing up to be unashamedly their true selves…but they have never considered if those true selves may be rotten ones
-a 12 year old younger sibling who is observant, intuitive, and unfailingly loyal to their family but suspicious of strangers
Reading Journey: 👌
Riding through the neighbourhood in a golf cart on a crisp, relaxing summer day.
Show’n’tell: 👌 Perfect show - I wasn’t just in the characters heads I briefly became them. Includes a little map of the park and houses.
Great match if you like:
-neighbourhood mysteries
-dark cozy mystery
-coming-of-age drama
-nostalgic summer energy
-people giving off creepy vibes behind closed doors
-teens behaving badly
Vibes: 🙂😲ðŸ¤
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Medical content
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Alcoholism
Medical content is related to diabetes and paranoid schizophrenia. Adult/minor relationships are inferred and suspectedlpdx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Bullying, Self harm, Alcohol, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
rinnfoskey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
1.5
I know some people loved this book which is why I purchased initially, but don't think I would recommend it. Technically the writing was compelling and and the story initially hooked me, but I found some of the themes to be uncomfortable. Not in a way that I felt challenged me so I learned something but was perhaps unnecessary? Or that she didn't really know what message she wanted you to take away.
I did find it interesting the use of flashback so you first read of the incident that happened, then flashback and work your way to the present so it makes you consider each character with suspicion.
<Spoiler>
The plot revolves around a 13 year old girl who is found in a communal garden in a coma with her shirt pulled up and pants pulled down. The novel then flashes back and tells you the story up to the present. There are suspicions and descriptions of inappropriate behaviour from 18 year old with 13 year old, and a father man who grabs and leers at all the women (in the past).
Ultimately the plot/resolution is a love triangle but with the 13 year olds. I found the sexual activity descriptions of such young characters particularly against the suspicions of paedophilia uncomfortable. The lift scene being a prime example... I don't think it was either pushing the boundary of comfort to really explore coming of age and sexual maturity, etc. I felt more like it was just used as plot tool and I think with these types of stories you really have to be careful.
Also the girl who is found, her sister and her mom moved to the garden because their father is schizophrenic and has an episode where he burns their house down. While it provides a compelling back story, again I don't know if it was approached in the best way. Though he is in hospital, is treated and ultimately released it does come across as "you can never really trust mentally ill folks to not try and kill you!'
I did find it interesting the use of flashback so you first read of the incident that happened, then flashback and work your way to the present so it makes you consider each character with suspicion.
<Spoiler>
The plot revolves around a 13 year old girl who is found in a communal garden in a coma with her shirt pulled up and pants pulled down. The novel then flashes back and tells you the story up to the present. There are suspicions and descriptions of inappropriate behaviour from 18 year old with 13 year old, and a father man who grabs and leers at all the women (in the past).
Ultimately the plot/resolution is a love triangle but with the 13 year olds. I found the sexual activity descriptions of such young characters particularly against the suspicions of paedophilia uncomfortable. The lift scene being a prime example... I don't think it was either pushing the boundary of comfort to really explore coming of age and sexual maturity, etc. I felt more like it was just used as plot tool and I think with these types of stories you really have to be careful.
Also the girl who is found, her sister and her mom moved to the garden because their father is schizophrenic and has an episode where he burns their house down. While it provides a compelling back story, again I don't know if it was approached in the best way. Though he is in hospital, is treated and ultimately released it does come across as "you can never really trust mentally ill folks to not try and kill you!'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Mental illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
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