Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

51 reviews

wetrathours's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Good book. Didn't knock my socks off but it's also pretty short. I loved the characters. The plot was compelling and unique. I felt that the ending was a little anticlimactic, but that might be more about my expectations or listening experience. I think I would have enjoyed this more had I read it in print rather than listening to the audiobook. I got a little distracted while listening, and I didn't vibe with all the narrators.
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thestonepilot's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

01/2025 bookclub read
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obfsf430's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was a quick and mysterious read. In many ways I am left with more questions than answers and I want to read more in this universe. 
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madisonjordan5693's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

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ronan_lesh's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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xan_van_rooyen's review against another edition

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dark funny informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I absolutely loved this, but it was too short. It was such a cool set-up with an awesome cast of characters and I felt like the story was just getting started when it call came to a rather abrupt end. I really hope the author considers expanding this or writing a novel with these maladjusted misfit characters. Alone, this novella tackles some interesting topics about academia and ethics in research but barely skims the surface. This could've been so much more and so much better had it been longer!

I also really enjoyed the author's essay about her own struggles with academia, insomnia, and the toll academic pressure takes on the body, mind, and soul, and how these personal experiences inspire and inform her fiction. I really hope she ends up writing more novels.
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lilithvonbat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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lmgrame11's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This was better in the reread. I enjoyed the story the first time through but really enjoyed the second read because all the clues were standing out. 
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gray's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The idea of having the characters meeting up and in a way forming bonds over randomly meeting up with strangers in a graveyard was intriguing to me so I had to give this book a read. The character  were all at different points of life and had different worries. To Edie, there was always a story. To Tuck, being able to survive was important. Tamar probably wanted a change in her life. Hannah just wanted to get some sleep. And Theo was, despite his extrovertedness, still lonely. And yet a curious incident at the graveyard led them to work together to investigate the case.
The buildup of the story was good, but I was quite disappointed that there wasn't much to the confrontation with Lockley and the closest we could get to some action was Hannah threatening Kinnan. The ending seemed a bit lackluster compared to the beginning as well, although I had hope that Hannah got the sleep that she wanted, it seems like she will also die with the way Theo receives the call about Zack dying.
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tales_told_in_gold's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

If you’re searching for outright horror with a definitive conclusion, this book may not appeal. That said, this is the kind of tale that’s meant to creep in and linger on your conscious long after the last page is read. Keep this thought in mind. 

M. L. Rio’s style of writing is superb with her natural flow of dialogue and ability to describe settings with vivid imagery.  Her characters have few physical descriptions, but their flaws and unique personalities more than make up for that. Their dysfunctional bonds with each other are what intrigued me the most. 

That said, I do wish there had been more elements of horror and tension interspersed throughout the story. Much of this read like a detective novel, and could have benefited from a line or two of ever growing suspense and madness.  

All in all though, it was worth a read, especially if you’re interested in a taste of Gothic writings or enjoy some science-gone-wrong.
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