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jstilts's review
- 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
3.5
Then in the last 30% the book changes gears and viewpoint, and becomes rather serious, revealing the main chunk of the book to have been - not exactly wr tten by an unreliable narrator so much as a cunning author determined to see an illusion through. At first this rather sucks all the fun out of the book. Then it becomes VERY serious indeed, and somehow I'm invested in this new style. It ends satisfyingly, and then in an epilogue of sorts there is a rather nice little extra twist, and I find myself living it again.
In the end I have to say well done to the author, but I still want to read that unwritten other version of the book where it goes to where it looks like it is going for the vast majority of the book!
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Pedophilia
hmetwade'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? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
anniepatt's review against another edition
3.0
Moderate: Cursing, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Colonisation
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual content
laileanah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This features DV, suggestions of IPV, self harm and other dark subject matters.
Graphic: Self harm
Minor: Addiction, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
georgiagirl1315's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide and Violence
delphine_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book goes back and forth between Amaya’s point of view of events over a few days, and the accounts of other characters who give their own perspective. It makes it really interesting and is a splendid set up for some really well engineered reveals and progression points.
The morals of everybody involved are delightfully twisted and the book left me feeling like well- that was even more messed up than I thought. But in a good way. The layers of morality.
It was also a really fun projection into both Sri Lanka and the high society of that place. It really felt like I could place myself there, the world was really well brought to life.
My only gripe with the book- but it’s a pretty big gripe- is the laying it on thick about one of the characters. I think it could have been more subtle and the result of it was just a lot. I would have been sold just as effectively with less.
This is a bit sad as the book otherwise does a great job of depicting tense relationships, two-faced individuals, and
Finally another gripe would be the little faux pas of implying
All in all I liked this book a great deal and couldn’t stop listening, I am delighted to have spent time with this, and picked up another book by this author. Read the trigger warnings REALLY carefully, because they’re no joke. But if you’re good to go, then I could not recommend it enough.
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Rape, Blood, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
maregred's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
getlitwithamy_'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The first thing you’d imagine when reading a book about an obsessive woman who plans to stop her best friend’s wedding at all costs, especially when she’s marrying your ex boyfriend, you normally know where things will go. But that was not the case here.
I ZIPPED through this book! There were times where I was sure I knew where the plot was going but was still left surprised when a new twist came up. Amanda Jayatissa really knows how to impact a reader!
The one downside is that the characters were hard to like. The main character Amaya seemed unlikeable for most of the book, but that was probably intended so we can see into her true intentions.
Overall, this is a great read about traumatic pasts, gossip, and the things people will do to get their way.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Car accident, and Pregnancy