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ekmoore11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Forced institutionalization
carrots02's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
the characters are fascinating. the story is rich with history and gory details. i adore how self referential it is and that it’s truly a mystery!
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Gore, and Excrement
Moderate: Sexual assault
penofpossibilities's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Drug use, Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, and Hate crime
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Vomit, Alcohol, Abandonment, Addiction, and Violence
Minor: Dementia, Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Abortion
owenwilsonbaby's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved this! The last 600 page novel I read was Dune and in some ways that felt like such a slog in comparison to this. I occasionally had issues - pauses that lasted too long, issues with the pacing - especially when the beginning and middle felt like they were building to something that wasn't quite carried to fruition by the culmination of Alex and Libby's plot and the modern Hollywood plot. The tone at the start was also interesting to adjust to, with a very camp Gothic element - often an interesting shift when the narrator themselves is a bit of an all-knowing, anonymous character (and frequently reminds the reader of this).
That said, all of these are minor quibbles in an otherwise fun and absorbing take on queer horror. Danforth has a brilliant grasp on when to employ terror and when to employ horror. The novel has lots of potential themes but ultimately seems to be about the dangers of spectacle, not unlike my other horror favourite of this year, Jordan Peele's Nope. I also loved Harper, Audrey and Merritt's characters, who are all complex and three-dimensional. Merritt was especially interesting and accurate as a survivor of bereavement by suicide, and someone who came to writing and success young and is now floundering in her 20s.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Mental illness, Grief, Animal death, Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Suicide, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
johnbat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Body horror
eve_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
⁕ Danforth's ability to flesh out characters is strong, but comes at the cost of a painfully slow narrative. Even though I appreciated the depth of the contemporary characters (Meritt, Audrey, and Harper), it took FOREVER for them to be united and on the set of Brookhants. Once there, only a minimal amount time was spent in the spooky gothic setting that I picked the book up for in the first place.
⁕ I was disappointed with the weak connection between the contemporary storyline and the historic one. There was so much potential for a paranormal overlap (or, at the least, a metaphorical one), but after hundreds of pages of build-up, both storylines diverged and went their separate ways? It was infuriating!
⁕ This book did have its moments. The unreliable, self-aware narrator gives major Lemony-Snicket-tells-ghost-story-vibes, and when the action did move forward I was gripped by it. I just wish these features of the book had been more consistent.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
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Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, and Sexual assault
decie's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Child death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Body horror, Lesbophobia, Murder, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcoholism, Stalking, Addiction, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
booksthatburn's review against another edition
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Xenophobia, and Vomit
pineneedles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Rape, and Homophobia
Minor: Forced institutionalization
eveee_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Biphobia
Minor: Fatphobia and Alcoholism