Katherine

Needs less backstory

Reviewed: 11-11-23

I enjoyed this book overall but found myself frustrated at the numerous times the plot would completely grind to a halt to introduce new characters and give them elaborate background stories. I almost stopped listening when a new character was introduced with an hour left to go in the book, and found myself even more frustrated when TWO MORE characters with backstories were introduced with only 30 minutes left! It completely kills the momentum of the story, even if it does all come together by the end. I’m all for character development, but it needs to be done in a better way than this.

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Not bad, but not great

Reviewed: 11-11-23

A decent book to pass the time, but it had some narrative devices I didn’t care for. The book is told from a few different POVs, with several chapters ending on cliffhangers. Then the next chapter switches to a different character’s plot line, totally killing the momentum of the story for me. There’s also a point towards the end when one character figures out who the villain is - a fact that this character mentions over and over in their narration - but they always decide they won’t reveal who it is (to us or the other characters) just yet. This in itself was frustrating and felt like a cheap ploy to build mystery and tension. I think this author has a lot of potential, but needs to figure out how to structure things better to avoid using these kinds of tactics.

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3 people found this helpful

Definitely worth the credit!

Reviewed: 06-21-23

This was such a fantastic book. The characters were distinct, vibrant and believable. They weren’t perfect and they sometimes made bad or painful decisions, but it never felt contrived. This book has grit, and it delves into both the glamour and dark side of Hollywood. And at the heart of it all is a female friendship for the ages.

I’ve struggled with the last several books I’ve read, but I tore through this one in a day or two. Definitely recommend!

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Not as dark as I was expecting

Reviewed: 03-11-22

**3.5 STARS** Between the title, the cover and the description, I expected this novel to be a much darker thriller than what it turned out to be. For a large majority of book, it's standard college fare - anxieties about rushing a frat or sorority, making new friends, fitting in, proving yourself to your parents, etc. A lot of the plot is spent on two people in the main friend group making eyes at each other and dancing around their attraction to the other one. It's not a bad thing necessarily, but it's definitely not the kind of book I thought it was and by the time the murder mystery plot started to ramp up, I was becoming slightly impatient. I also think the thriller subplot loses it's momentum occasionally due to the switching back and forth between timelines and more than one weak red herring.

That being said, this wasn't a bad book by any means! I enjoyed the characters, it was well-written and the ending felt earned. I think it's definitely worth a credit as long as you aren't expecting a really dark and twisty thriller from page one.

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3 people found this helpful

A mixed bag

Reviewed: 01-13-22

**No Spoilers** This was a frustrating book to listen to at times. I followed the advice of other reviewers and paid close attention at the beginning, so thankfully I never felt lost or confused. The general plotline and overall message are fantastic, but it still felt like a bit of a slog sometimes. The "big secret" is alluded to so often and so cryptically that it became frustrating after a while - I was internally screaming, "Get on with it!" Additionally, I can appreciate a well-written unlikeable character, but all four of the main players in this novel were a bit annoying - whiny at times or self-righteous in a way that felt a little unbelievable. That being said, there are some good twists and turns that I appreciated. Each reveal felt earned in that it made sense in the context of earlier revelations without being overly telegraphed. It's just a shame that it takes so long to get to some of them.

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3 people found this helpful

Not enough mystery/thriller

Reviewed: 06-14-21

I enjoyed the characters but was disappointed that the central mystery to this book was solved so quickly. I didn't enjoy the second half nearly as much as the first - the plot once the missing person was located didn't feel nearly as engaging to me.

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Bleak but ultimately hopeful

Reviewed: 02-13-21

Kristin Hannah has done it again! Rich characters and a vivid depiction of the hardships during the dust bowl told from the perspective of a mother who would do anything for her children, and a daughter who learns what love is. There are so many trials and tribulations in this book, but there's always an undercurrent of hope and determination that keeps it afloat. Julia Whelan works her usual magic to bring these characters to life. A new favorite book for me!

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4 people found this helpful

Closer to 3.5 stars

Reviewed: 02-03-21

As mentioned by several others in the reviews, this story has a very good beginning and conclusion, but it does tend to drag a bit in the middle with a lot of internal monologue and distress from the main character. I think had there been a bit more action during this time it would have bumped the rating up to 4 or even 4.5 for me. The narrator did a fantastic job, and overall I don't regret listing to this one.

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4 people found this helpful

Not as good as I'd hoped

Reviewed: 01-28-21

This story had good parts to it, but by the end I was counting down the minutes until it would be over. It seems like it was more filler than action and the constant race-checking of every single character became really aggravating after the first few times. The narrator made me want to return the book at the beginning, but I did learn to grudgingly adjust after a while.

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Great main character!

Reviewed: 01-25-21

I'm so confused by the reviews here that say the main character was naive, whiny or let people walk all over her! As I was listening, I was actually cheering her on because there were multiple times in the story where she went out of her way to figure out what was going on and why she was being treated so strangely by those around her. I've read books where the main character just thinks, "Oh well!" and gives up on trying to find the answers, but this book was not one of those at all.

The ending wasn't too shocking, but the story kept me interested and involved the whole time. This was definitely worth the credit for me!

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