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A review by kt2e56
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Fairly compelling! Definitely a page turner! I think this fell victim though to the problem I have with most thrillers lately: the author is so wrapped up in preserving their big reveal at the end that a lot of the description about characters feels pretty bland or nonexistent outside of the flashbacks to the past. It’s extra infuriating here because some of these reveals are very easy to guess and the reader picking up on them ahead of time wouldn’t really hinder the book all that much. The characters all feel very lifeless and sort of blend together.
The ending also felt a bit rushed but the plot itself does make up for that. It’s certainly entertaining.
The ending also felt a bit rushed but the plot itself does make up for that. It’s certainly entertaining.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Pregnancy