3 Mini Reviews: Missing, Murder, & Misogyny

Hey, look! Another collection of mini reviews for thriller audiobooks I recently finished! At this point, I feel like I should make this a weekly meme 😆 Look, I love audiobooks, but I specifically love listening to thriller and mystery audiobooks. I’ve tried other genres and they just don’t do it for me. There’s something about a murder and haunted houses that just hit differently in audio format. But here’s the other thing about audiobooks, I either consume them quickly, or very slowly, and by the time I’m done, I just don’t have a whole lot to say to fill an entire review? So, enter these posts. Anyways, I’m rambling over here. Here are some quick reviews for 3 audiobooks I recently finished!

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THE LOST VILLAGE by Camilla Sten
Goodreads
★★/5

Alright, this one is one that I’m in the middle for. I loved the setting and the premise. It reminded me of so many of the horror movies I’ve watched. I found myself intrigued from the beginning. Then, I slowly dropped off. I would have it playing and find my mind completely wandering. Sometimes, the story just sort of dragged, which is weird because plenty of stuff was happening so you’d think I’d be hooked. Unfortunately, even though plenty was happening, I didn’t feel the tension that should have been there. Also, the big reveal at the end just completely ruined anything I did enjoy about the story. The believability of it is…questionable.

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THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse
Goodreads
★★★★/5

Okay, I actually really enjoyed this one. I was worried because I’ve seen so many mixed reviews and people saying they were disappointed in it, but I thought it was a great mystery. It reminded me of a game of Clue but instead of solving one murder, the body count continues to grow. I enjoyed the setting, I found it creepy and I felt the isolation. One of the complaints I’ve seen is that Elin is the most incompetent detective ever, which, maybe? Here’s the thing, I kind of forgot she was a detective and not just some sleuth that wanted to solve the mystery. So there’s probably some merit to those complaints, but I still enjoyed listening to the mystery unfold. With that said, ugh, the reveal. It’s whatever. It’s not the worst and it wasn’t what I was expecting (so that’s good I suppose) but it was a little disappointing. If not for that ending, it would have been one of my favorite thrillers in a while.

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EVERY VOW YOU BREAK by Peter Swanson
Goodreads
★/5

BRO. NO. This book starts off with, what I deem to be, CSA. She just casually mentions that her first sexual relationship was when she was like 15? with a 26-year-old? But then it’s never addressed that the relationship was COMPLETELY WRONG and the 26-year-old is a child abuser. From then on, I just had an icky feeling about the entire book. Which was justified because it’s a giant misogynistic mess. I get that’s the whole point, but it just wasn’t written well. The theme wasn’t really addressed and discussed in a meaningful way (re: my first issue with the 26-year-old that just gets glossed over). Sure, it had a decently wrapped up ending, but it wasn’t enough. Shit needed to be discussed. This is a big NO from me.

Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?