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annieree's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Forced institutionalization
sierrabowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Gore, Infidelity, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
bella_mcnabb's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Death
thepurplepixel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Death, Grief, Violence, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Cursing
allidone's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not sure if I liked it? If it was good? Right now I’m at a 4 but that might change.
As a therapist, it’s wild that she didn’t see any of what was going on.
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Mental illness, Grief, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Stalking, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infertility
meeklovestoread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief
Minor: Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Gore, Body horror, Incest, and Infidelity
hazybee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, Death, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Self harm
secre's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The characters are absolutely the biggest flaw here. Whilst Michaelides depicts the setting of the Cambridge university well, virtually every character - including the dead ones - are flat and uninspiring. Mariana is a bit of a moron with questionable judgement at best even if it can be partially excused by her recent loss and grief, her niece gets barely any page time for most of the novel, Edward Fosca is a creep with few redeeming features, and the Maidens show zero emotion to their members being brutally murderers. It's... flat, lifeless and uninspiring.
That said, I did enjoy this more than The Silent Patient. It kept me more engaged and whilst the use of shock twists with no lead up annoys the hell out of me, I can absolutely say I didn't see it coming. Admittedly, I didn't think it was well developed either and that's from both the character perspective and from the consequences after perspective. I actively appreciated the depictions of grief and trauma in individual's lives, and how much it can cloud both judgement and make you act in weird ways. The use of a therapist as the main character is one that appeals to me, it's just a pity that Mariana doesn't really live up to this.
All in all, I think I'm coming to the conclusion that Michaelides works are not really for me, even though they sound like it from the blurbs.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my free review copy of this title.
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent
swansonjunkie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide attempt and Infertility
cinderpot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, and Stalking