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lj_mx18's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was incredible!!! So well thoughtout, and while I do warn for mention of child abuse, it is also such an important patt of the story about duality and the complexity of humanity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Body horror
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
Minor: Pedophilia and Blood
marigoldgem's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Violence, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, and Body horror
grem_ler's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Gore
annamay1021's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Child abuse and Pedophilia
mel_j's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
That was brutally beautiful. What a wonderful, important book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Transphobia
morebedsidebooks's review
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Pedophilia, Blood, and Child abuse
Minor: Racism, Slavery, Transphobia, Ableism, Classism, Cursing, Police brutality, Death, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
julieyael's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was absolutely not what I was expecting (I bought it as a horrir book. Well, it’s about another, more real, kind of horror)
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story.
I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it.
I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial.
Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste.
Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people.
It just didn’t « click » for me.
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more).
Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously.
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story.
I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it.
I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial.
Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste.
Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people.
It just didn’t « click » for me.
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more).
Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Rape, and Violence
town_scar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
If you can listen to the audiobook, you really should. It felt like I was watching a movie. The narrator does an impeccable job. This really held my attention throughout and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
The monster's acts are alluded to without ever being described. The only physical description given is a mention of bruises, but there is no elaboration beyond that. Any adult can read between the lines of what happened. It may not be apparent to some younger children/teens.katewillread's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
It truly pains me that this was a disappointment.
What I did like- the seamless inclusion of diverse characters. I also thought the many ways Jam communicated as a selectively mute person (speaking, sign language, and telepathically with Pet) was done well and was, for me, easy to follow. The use of the library as a safe space and the importance of knowledge and asking questions. The theme of addressing a problem at the root to solve the underlying issue rather than locking it away and learning nothing from it.
What I didn’t like- felt like Jam and Redemption were written as 12 yr olds (or younger honestly) but the themes were too heavy so Emezi had to age them up to fit the genre but didn’t change any of the dialogue to match. They were 16ish but sounded so much younger, which I found very distracting. I wish we had more on the rehabilitation centers that were meant to replace prisons and what that looked like in the grand scheme of the world. The violence at the end should have felt gratifying considering the crime but there was a disconnect somewhere and it fell flat for me.
What I hated- the fact that it’s explicitly said that it’s useless for kids to reach out to their trusted adults for help in scary situations.
“Maybe one of them tells the monster, and it hides even better than it’s hiding now. How will we find it then?” (This is when they’re considering talking to Redemptions parents)
And then this logic is proven right when they don’t believe him. Jam never considers talking to her parents bc she’s already deep in a lie and now “she knew how to keep things from them.”
Why not go to Ube???
What does this leave the reader with except an innate helplessness and a recommendation to confront “monsters” themselves without any aid??? I realise that in our world it’s not always as easy as child victims confiding in an adult and immediately being believed but this was an excellent opportunity to show what to do then, keep reaching out to trusted adults in times of need. There are no “Pets” in the real world that will miraculously solve problems, there was an opportunity to show real life solutions and it did the opposite in my opinion.I almost didn’t finish once I got to the point where this came up and only finished it with the hope that I would be proven wrong. Unfortunately I’m just angry now.
What I did like- the seamless inclusion of diverse characters. I also thought the many ways Jam communicated as a selectively mute person (speaking, sign language, and telepathically with Pet) was done well and was, for me, easy to follow. The use of the library as a safe space and the importance of knowledge and asking questions. The theme of addressing a problem at the root to solve the underlying issue rather than locking it away and learning nothing from it.
What I didn’t like- felt like Jam and Redemption were written as 12 yr olds (or younger honestly) but the themes were too heavy so Emezi had to age them up to fit the genre but didn’t change any of the dialogue to match. They were 16ish but sounded so much younger, which I found very distracting. I wish we had more on the rehabilitation centers that were meant to replace prisons and what that looked like in the grand scheme of the world. The violence at the end should have felt gratifying considering the crime but there was a disconnect somewhere and it fell flat for me.
What I hated- the fact that it’s explicitly said that it’s useless for kids to reach out to their trusted adults for help in scary situations.
And then this logic is proven right when they don’t believe him. Jam never considers talking to her parents bc she’s already deep in a lie and now “she knew how to keep things from them.”
Why not go to Ube???
What does this leave the reader with except an innate helplessness and a recommendation to confront “monsters” themselves without any aid??? I realise that in our world it’s not always as easy as child victims confiding in an adult and immediately being believed but this was an excellent opportunity to show what to do then, keep reaching out to trusted adults in times of need. There are no “Pets” in the real world that will miraculously solve problems, there was an opportunity to show real life solutions and it did the opposite in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Child abuse