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fearsich's review
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hnggg i gave up on this book but after a couple of months did manage to finish it! it definitely gets better in the second half!!! like i was very much excited about the polyamory and lose ends being tied.... buuut idk it was justt sooo much set up that I'm sure i forgot important plot points...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
jojoana's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Drug use
heather_harrison's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
3.5
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️
I loved the gothic vibe, cursed school, sapphic rep and creepy wasps. But my god this could have been shorter.
I found that while I enjoyed the two story lines, the 1900s was definitely stronger than the present day Hollywood. The ending looked like it was all going to interconnect, but it just fizzled out and was so disappointing.
+ 0.5 because the trifle scene made my physically cringe and internally scream.
I loved the gothic vibe, cursed school, sapphic rep and creepy wasps. But my god this could have been shorter.
I found that while I enjoyed the two story lines, the 1900s was definitely stronger than the present day Hollywood. The ending looked like it was all going to interconnect, but it just fizzled out and was so disappointing.
+ 0.5 because the trifle scene made my physically cringe and internally scream.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Stalking
bookycnidaria's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
fin_pilot's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Gore, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
imrereads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.5
This was so good! If you're looking for something sapphic, gothic, dark academia-adjacent, a chunky story with multiple timelines and main characters, genuinely tense and frightening scenes, a really clever narrator and a whole bunch of yellowjacket wasps, then look no further! This wasn't what I expected it to be, and it uses some of my least favourite storytelling tools (narrator speaking directly to the reader, for one) but it does it in a way that make me love it. It just worked so well. This was so well crafted, and Danforth has such a great voice.
Keep in mind that this is horror! You may want to check the content warnings.
Keep in mind that this is horror! You may want to check the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Biphobia, Suicide, and Drug use
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Fatphobia
carrots02's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
i will be thinking about this book for a long time. it’s delightfully eerie and weird and sapphic! i borrowed it from the library and before i got halfway through i ordered it from my local bookstore.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Gore, and Excrement
Moderate: Sexual assault
ksgoetz's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Body horror, Homophobia, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Blood, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Vomit, Death, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt
eve_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ 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.
⁕ SPOILER: I hate that the entirety of the horror elements in this book are rooted in the sexual assault of a woman that's not even really introduced until the last 100 pages or so. Way to use random, gendered acts of violence as a plot device (*read that last sentence as sarcasm*)!
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
⁕ 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/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Death, and Sexual assault
mariebrunelm's review
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Plain Bad Heroines (PBH) came with a host of Instagram friends' recommendations, which made me wary because of the hype. But what a delight when, a few dozen pages in, I realised the hype was completely justified!
PBH follows two main timelines of sapphic women caught in the webs woven by a book and the deaths it seems to have inspired. In 1902 three girls are found dead at B's school for girls. The cause seems to be an attack of yellow jackets, but the girls' morbid obsession with Mary MacLane's diary throws a shade over this simple explanation.
Today between Hollywood and Rhode Island, writers and actresses become embroiled in a movie project with a twist.
This was a festival of sapphic extravaganza, mysteries, a touch of dark academia and a very sarcastic narrator. I loved every page of it and savoured the gorgeous edition I found second-hand, complete with illustrations. A new favourite!
Rep: Sapphic relationship.
PBH follows two main timelines of sapphic women caught in the webs woven by a book and the deaths it seems to have inspired. In 1902 three girls are found dead at B's school for girls. The cause seems to be an attack of yellow jackets, but the girls' morbid obsession with Mary MacLane's diary throws a shade over this simple explanation.
Today between Hollywood and Rhode Island, writers and actresses become embroiled in a movie project with a twist.
This was a festival of sapphic extravaganza, mysteries, a touch of dark academia and a very sarcastic narrator. I loved every page of it and savoured the gorgeous edition I found second-hand, complete with illustrations. A new favourite!
Rep: Sapphic relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Outing and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit