Reviews

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

leftylea's review

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dark mysterious 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

4.5

jreichertjulie's review

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adventurous dark informative sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bookph1le's review

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4.0

That was pretty twisted and messed up, and it kept me reading obsessively. My opinion of pretty much all of the characters morphed over the course of the book, as slowly things started unraveling. I don't think Kubica's writing has the polish of Gillian Flynn or the bite of Liane Moriarty, but this book was a gripping thriller that kept me compulsively reading right up until the last page.

kerrlk0's review

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

juliabragg's review

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3.0

I devoured this book in 2 sittings. I really enjoyed the writing and the story. The story is told from 3 different POV, and this is the first book in a long time where each POV is different enough where you don't have to constantly consult the start of the chapter to figure out who you are reading. The twist was foreseeable, but oddly, it didn't take away from the book.

celtic67's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a good read. The sort that grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go until the last full stop. A chance encounter leads to an act of kindness which eventually descends into a web of lies.
It is a story that is told by three(unreliable?) narrators.
Chris husband to Heidi and Willow a homeless girl who Heidi initially looks kindly upon.
But all is not as it seems. A simple story of a kindness to your fellow human soon becomes something completely different.
The frailties, secrets and lies of the three narrators web a brilliant tale of underlying menace.
The writing is top notch and the chapters short which makes you want to read on and never get bored. The characters are well drawn and rounded. My first read from Mary Kubica and on this example wont be my last. I recommend this book to all.

peaknit's review

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4.0

I listened to this on audible.com. I really enjoyed the story as it was told to me. Sad, yet real somehow.

worabora's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-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

2.0

myahkerr's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

3.0

astoriareader's review

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

5.0

SYNOPSIS
  • Heidi lives in Chicago with her husband, Chris, a busy corporate attorney, and her 12 year old daughter, Zoe. She always wanted more kids, but ended up with only Zoe.
  • Heidi is a do-gooder, and she loves to help others.
  • One day, she sees a young woman, Willow, and her baby, Ruby, waiting for a train in the rain. They end up crossing paths a few more times, and Heidi figures out that the pair appear to be homeless.
  • Heidi insists on bringing Willow and Ruby back to her place, and she gives them a place to stay without checking with her husband or daughter. What could possibly go wrong?

MY THOUGHTS
  • Mary Kubica is one of my favorite authors, and this is my 7th book of hers that I have read.
  • 🤌🏼Ahhh, this is one of her bests. I devoured this in a day. In the moments when I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about the story & wondering what happened.
  • The story is told from alternating POVs (Heidi, Chris, & Willow).
  • I was able to guess a few things, but there were so many great twists & turns. Very satisfying ending. 
  • Kubica is an expert in character development. Loved the backstories and getting to know this cast of characters. I really felt like I knew all of them, and felt for each of them. 

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one of Kubica’s best. amazing character development. finished in a day. add this to your TBR shelf ASAP!
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