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sizzledbacon13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
stephaniejnl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Domestic abuse
torikate92's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda intense, but in a cliché & cheesy way that i totally enjoyed
historybabe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
nickiep's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Alcoholism
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
There were elements of this book that I liked, but I simply could not get into it because the characters were so consistently--and persistently--stupid. Had they had a bit more sense, most of what happens to them wouldn't have happened to them, which means there would have been no book. Spoilers to follow.
The premise of the book was interesting, and it got off to a good start. I really felt for Dani, Jessie, and Courtney when they were living with their abusive father. Starting off with a kick in the gut like this book does, I understood their panic as they tried to figure out what to do, and I found the relationship between the three believable. It's obvious that Dani, as the oldest, feels responsible for taking care of the other two, that she suppresses her own feelings in order to focus on them, and that she thinks she needs to present a competent front, so she sometimes eschews their advice when she should listen to it. However, it frustrated me that, for such a savvy type of character who's spent her whole life being a victim of an abusive father, she's awfully trusting of a couple of random guys who pull up and offer to help. It really irked me that she didn't listen to Jessie.
Okay, I could get over that, accept it as Dani making a big misstep because she didn't want to risk having her authority undermined and her facade shattered. The sisters' captivity is brutal and horrifying without containing a lot of lurid details. Still, this isn't light reading, folks. Then again, Stevens's novels never really are light reading, and most of them deal with similar themes of rape, abuse, and women generally being hideously mistreated by men. I thought this portion of the novel felt pretty realistic, as did the scene when the sisters took flight.
What I didn't like so much was what came next. I'm not completely against Jessie's having kept her baby, but this is one of those stereotypical things that movies, TV shows, and books tend to do. Female characters in dire situations aren't sure they want their babies, but they always seem to be ambivalent. Why is this? In reality, while I have no doubt that some women do feel ambivalent about their pregnancies, most women I know are pretty set when it comes to whether or not they want to keep their baby. Once Jessie found out she was pregnant, I knew exactly what was going to happen. For the purposes of this novel, I understand why it did, but I still can't figure out why authors/TV show runners/directors are so averse to portraying women's struggles with unwanted pregnancies in authentic ways. It bothers me that they gloss over such a complex issue.
By the last third of the novel, I was having a hard time staying on board. You'd think after all Courtney suffered that, while it certainly was feasible she acted the way she did with regard to her own life, she would have been at least slightly more protective of her niece. That whole aspect of the novel frankly made me angry. She knows full well what's out there in the world, and yet she enables Skylar's bad behavior at every turn.
From there on out, things just keep getting worse. I can buy Jessie being a stupid teenager, but it was agonizing how she'd realize she was doing something dumb, and then she'd just go right on ahead and keep doing it. By no means did I think any of the characters deserved what happened to them, but it's so hard for me to be invested in dumb characters. It's a different thing entirely if someone finds themselves in a bad situation through no fault of their own, but what Courtney does is so stupid and reckless that it's hardly surprising she ends up once more in grave danger. Rather than react rationally, Skylar jumps right in with her.
As for Jessie and Dani, well, I could buy how Jessie acts because her daughter is in danger and I doubt many people would act rationally in that situation, myself included. Dani does finally agree to go to the police, but it takes so much prodding and poking, which again makes little sense to me. She seems like a pretty canny person in most regards, but she has a spectacular inability to understand that when she and her sisters try to solve their problems, they tend only to make them much, much worse.
I've read every novel Stevens has written and have found them a mixed bag. I really liked her first two books, but Always Watching was disappointing. When it comes to this book, I think it could have been so much better. Characters should go running off half-cocked from time to time, because that's how humans often do react to crises. But when a character never exhibits an ounce of sense, it makes it difficult to find any of the twists shocking, and it takes away from the overall impact of the book.
The premise of the book was interesting, and it got off to a good start. I really felt for Dani, Jessie, and Courtney when they were living with their abusive father. Starting off with a kick in the gut like this book does, I understood their panic as they tried to figure out what to do, and I found the relationship between the three believable. It's obvious that Dani, as the oldest, feels responsible for taking care of the other two, that she suppresses her own feelings in order to focus on them, and that she thinks she needs to present a competent front, so she sometimes eschews their advice when she should listen to it. However, it frustrated me that, for such a savvy type of character who's spent her whole life being a victim of an abusive father, she's awfully trusting of a couple of random guys who pull up and offer to help. It really irked me that she didn't listen to Jessie.
Okay, I could get over that, accept it as Dani making a big misstep because she didn't want to risk having her authority undermined and her facade shattered. The sisters' captivity is brutal and horrifying without containing a lot of lurid details. Still, this isn't light reading, folks. Then again, Stevens's novels never really are light reading, and most of them deal with similar themes of rape, abuse, and women generally being hideously mistreated by men. I thought this portion of the novel felt pretty realistic, as did the scene when the sisters took flight.
What I didn't like so much was what came next. I'm not completely against Jessie's having kept her baby, but this is one of those stereotypical things that movies, TV shows, and books tend to do. Female characters in dire situations aren't sure they want their babies, but they always seem to be ambivalent. Why is this? In reality, while I have no doubt that some women do feel ambivalent about their pregnancies, most women I know are pretty set when it comes to whether or not they want to keep their baby. Once Jessie found out she was pregnant, I knew exactly what was going to happen. For the purposes of this novel, I understand why it did, but I still can't figure out why authors/TV show runners/directors are so averse to portraying women's struggles with unwanted pregnancies in authentic ways. It bothers me that they gloss over such a complex issue.
By the last third of the novel, I was having a hard time staying on board. You'd think after all Courtney suffered that, while it certainly was feasible she acted the way she did with regard to her own life, she would have been at least slightly more protective of her niece. That whole aspect of the novel frankly made me angry. She knows full well what's out there in the world, and yet she enables Skylar's bad behavior at every turn.
From there on out, things just keep getting worse. I can buy Jessie being a stupid teenager, but it was agonizing how she'd realize she was doing something dumb, and then she'd just go right on ahead and keep doing it. By no means did I think any of the characters deserved what happened to them, but it's so hard for me to be invested in dumb characters. It's a different thing entirely if someone finds themselves in a bad situation through no fault of their own, but what Courtney does is so stupid and reckless that it's hardly surprising she ends up once more in grave danger. Rather than react rationally, Skylar jumps right in with her.
As for Jessie and Dani, well, I could buy how Jessie acts because her daughter is in danger and I doubt many people would act rationally in that situation, myself included. Dani does finally agree to go to the police, but it takes so much prodding and poking, which again makes little sense to me. She seems like a pretty canny person in most regards, but she has a spectacular inability to understand that when she and her sisters try to solve their problems, they tend only to make them much, much worse.
I've read every novel Stevens has written and have found them a mixed bag. I really liked her first two books, but Always Watching was disappointing. When it comes to this book, I think it could have been so much better. Characters should go running off half-cocked from time to time, because that's how humans often do react to crises. But when a character never exhibits an ounce of sense, it makes it difficult to find any of the twists shocking, and it takes away from the overall impact of the book.
salyarmor's review against another edition
4.0
Suspenseful thriller! Within the first few pages it sucks you in. It’s brutal. It keeps you on edge. It hits heavy topics. Plot twists. Heartbreaking.