Reviews with content warning for Child death - Katzenjammer

Wow, that was tough. I knew what I was getting into (the copyright page spoils it, but I’d actually guessed it already just from the jacket description), but that doesn’t necessarily make it easier! I thought this was such a smart way to approach this topic. A very weird novel with more depth than you expect. This one will stick with me.

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trippalli's review

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Well written but heartbreaking. Violent and full of triggers, this is set in a high school about a modern day issue that is terrifying and sad.

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sammba's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

It is a well written book that's content will stay in my mind for a long time. I caught on to the mystery about 1/3 of the way through and continued reading hoping that I was wrong. The whole story is heartbreaking.

I would NOT recommend his book for teens or label it as YA (see content/trigger warnings). It is NOT for the faint of heart.

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supersol375's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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sarah984's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a very dark and strange little novel and I'm still not really sure how I felt about it. The writing is so atmospheric and some of the imagery will probably stick with me forever, but a lot of it didn't really feel like it meant anything. Considering the heavy nature of the real life topic involved I wish the book had had more to say than like "bad things are bad".

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stonams's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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mellamaron's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

If you are here expecting a book like “Eliza and her Monsters”, please leave. This is a horror story; it is not a feel good book about fandom with an HEA.

What is it then, you ask?

Katzenjammer is a haunting horror that flows beautifully between two timelines. We see the “current” time where the students of the School are changing, turning into monsters. Each time we meet a new character in the current timeline, we see them in the past - a normal contemporary timeline before the students were stuck in the school. Both timelines are told in short abrupt chapters and both are so compelling, I can’t pick a favorite.

Cat is a lovely protagonist. She is a girl who is different; people make fun of her lazy eye and her weird paintings. We meet Jeffrey, her best friend, who is a kind-hearted charismatic odd boy who enjoys spending time with her.

All of the characters we meet are interesting - when reading, it’s like these names stuck. Sometimes when I read, I go “wait who was this?” But in this book, I knew. When something connected in my head I went “oh my gosh, it’s XXX”

There are many triggers in this book, the one that happens most is violence: intense violence. I would recommend you look up the triggers before reading this book. I won’t list them all here as there is a particular trigger that is a spoiler…. So please look it up before reading if you have issues with violence triggers.

I really loved Zappia’s writing in this book: it felt sinister and compelling. I truly felt like I was in a horror video game - trying to hide from the toys in Five Nights at Freddy’s or Emily Wants to Play. If you don’t like those psychological horrors, please do NOT read this book.

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