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sharakins'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
deliberate_dreamer'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
• Gone Girl-style regionalism/pacing (minus, thankfully, the depths of sadism),
• Baby Sitters’ Club Mystery girl-power nostalgia (leveled up for their original fans now grown),
• Thoreau references to appreciate & chuckle at, and
• multi-decade elite entourages & class commentary à la The Great Gatsby’s Buchanans.
In The God of the Woods, Liz Moore cinematically carries out a solid, multi-perspective, multi-timeline organizational style. Character development balances intentional voice-building with ownership of its clichés. The God of the Woods also nicely works to subvert expectations of the semi-thriller/mystery genre while intuitively exploring generational submission vs. empowerment, as well as issues of patriarchy vs. matriarchy, legacy, classism, mental health, instinct, and closure. I found at least 90% page-turning and worth 4.5+ stars — but at times longed for the author to take more chances or make things messier even more.
Are all of the characters likable? At times, all them I detest; other times, all of them, I appreciate in their own way. All of them earn their keep. As I read, I chuckled often to think to one GoodReads review noting so much dislike for the characters that they declared “Let her be lost; let all of them be lost, actually” (@brend). In answer to that review, I sense this aggravation was intentionally part of Moore’s goal: to generate in us Gatsby-level disgust for the whole lot, yet challenge is to preserve their humanity, too.
All in all, I found this to be an engaging, mostly-satisfying read. It was also the first time my library surprised me a rare “skip-the-line loan” of an e-book, so cool!
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
karaokestar'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? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Alcohol
rachelhreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, and Murder
trin_16's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Overall, it wasn't my cup of tea but it was a great, well-developed mystery with a twist you probably won't guess! Very cop-based
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
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
krystaley'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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content and Murder
tofulibrarian'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Rape, and Murder
christianaskaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
krandelzhofer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism