Scan barcode
tifftastic87's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
Amy works for a soulless beige big box furniture retailer and she really dislikes it. Her goal was not to be here, but to go to college. However, coming from a low income family that's not always so easy. Crushed with student debt and bills she can never seem to catch up, she dreams of the "sit down job." She's determined to put in minimal effort and Orsk and just go along to get along. Until the day she gets offered roughly $800 in cash to put in an overnight shift to figure out what is causing some weird things to be happening. Amy agrees and shows up for the overnight with her supervisor and a lovely sweet cashier. They're surprised by two other employees who have snuck in to do their own research. What is in store is worse than a casual haunting, this runs deep.
Another great take on capitalism by setting a tense story inside an Ikea knock-off. I only wish I read this closer to Finna. Hendrix did a really good job of using the exact types of people that I have found at every retail job I have ever had and perfectly expressing how soul crushing retail is. The way corporations treat their employees and how society views productivity in general. I really appreciated this one. It was also gory and made me squirm in just the right amount.
Another great take on capitalism by setting a tense story inside an Ikea knock-off. I only wish I read this closer to Finna. Hendrix did a really good job of using the exact types of people that I have found at every retail job I have ever had and perfectly expressing how soul crushing retail is. The way corporations treat their employees and how society views productivity in general. I really appreciated this one. It was also gory and made me squirm in just the right amount.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Classism
Minor: Racism and Misogyny
parasolcrafter's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.0
wow...a grady hendrix book i enjoyed. what a surprise
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Cursing, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Racism
a_h_severa's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
The author writes in a way that makes it feel like a movie. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading. The pacing was overall pretty good. It was slow for the first chapter or so and then there was a quickly building tension that remained for most of the book. The main character didn’t feel super likable and the story unfortunately lacked diversity but overall it was a thrilling journey with a lot of twists and turns. I do have mixed feelings about the ending. I enjoyed it because it truly showed the character development for the main character but it felt like it was setting up for a sequel that felt unnecessary and undeserved. There’s a time gap of a year if I remember correctly so whatever rescue plan the main character had felt too little too late. Still, I’m glad she completed her character arc because she felt a little flat for the majority of the book. I didn’t really like her until towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Physical abuse, Murder, Body horror, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
More...