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dub828king's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The most engaging parts of the story are the investigation surrounding the disappearance of the girl, but there is lot of plot dedicated to the back story of many of the character 15 years before this book takes place. These sections are more character focused with some investigative plot elements, and do a lot of heavy lifting setting up the major themes of the book, namely what is "Self Reliance," the despicableness of the wealthy, and the virtues of "the poor people." I think that this book maybe fetishizes the poor and downtrodden more than necessary, and the themes of wealth inequality are a little on the nose, making its message a little messy.
Overall, an engaging mystery read with some heavy handed class inequality messaging that gets to make fun of Emerson. I think this book would ever be interesting to reread due to the large number of small references, connections, and hidden information that is hidden from the reader the first time through.
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Blood
mittan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
lexcellent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
forestmoonmage's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Infidelity, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
selendrea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moore's writing is incredibly strong, with her best talent being how she brings characters to life on the page. The beginning of the novel is particularly captivating, and the setting is both cozy and intimidating. I did have a difficult time putting the book down. Additionally, I appreciated how Moore subtly included several callbacks throughout the text to earlier themes and phrases.
This novel is more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller. I do believe it's too long, and some superfluous scenes could have been trimmed. The time skips and myriad of POVs weren't confusing, but I did find them to be unnecessary. At times, it felt as if Moore utilized this unconventional timeline and multiple character perspectives so that she could leave every single chapter in a cliffhanger. With all of this combined, I felt that the plot meandered near the middle of the novel.
While this story had many interesting characters, such as T.J., Judy, and Alice, other characters felt less compelling. Jacob, in particular, did not need to have his own chapters. They added nothing to the story.
The conclusion to Bear's story was enthralling, but Barbara's conclusion was a pretty significant let down for me. This is very subjective, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Overall, the shining success of The God of the Woods is how it explores women's experiences in several different contexts. However, I think the plot could have been unraveled in a more coherent way if some extra fluff was cut.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Alcohol
sarahbsews's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
grunbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The last few chapters couldn't be put down. Some parts of the ending didn't make the most sense to me, but there were interesting choices that could see coming from the clues.
I think the characters and the care and depth with which they were written is the best part. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when you have lots of different perspectives, but I feel this author balances it well. Some characters I love and feel sympathy for, and some I am apathetic for. But those I had apathy for were still interesting to read!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
sofiam19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, and Grief
maestro_cerrotorcido's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
hmstaab's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Dementia, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism