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bookedbymadeline's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
I was really looking forward to this as I’ve enjoyed similar stories (like CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters). Sadly it fell short for me and wasn’t what I hoped for. I think the main reason being it’s too short to truly engage with it. There’s not enough time for proper world building and getting to know the characters on a deeper level.
It’s an interesting enough story for a novella but I would’ve loved for it to be longer and go further. The writing style also felt very stream of consciousness which I don’t typically enjoy. We are thrown into the story with no context and there’s a lot of flashbacks that add to the whiplash of not knowing what’s going on most of the time. I was hoping for a darker, more existentialist story of demons and exorcisms. I wouldn’t categorize this as horror at all either.
Overall it was entertaining enough for a quick read. I hoped and wanted more but I’ll have to search for similar novels to get the depth I hoped for I suppose! I don’t plan on reading the sequel simply because the writing style wasn’t to my taste so I’m not intrigued enough to continue the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, and Child death
marinapaso11's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood, Murder, Child death, and Torture
marthadude's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
This is such an imaginative novella. Parker creates such a cool mythology in such a short amount of time. The morally grey unnamed narrator is such a fun perspective to read from. It’s one of those books where you’re enjoying the ride but wondering how things could possibly end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: Slavery
meowster's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Confinement, Child death, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
malaikawrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I kinda… loved this?? I found the way the book explored morality and the nuances around doing bad things so fascinating, and the fact that the narrator is the hero and the villain in his own story was extremely interesting. The narrator is a truly terrible person but in the most grey area way imaginable and I’m surprised at the fact that I enjoyed reading from his perspective. It was morbid, but definitely worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Murder and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy
kazik's review
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Minor: Child death, Death, Cursing, Murder, and Pregnancy
madarauchiha's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️
Fair warning: a sex worker is murdered at the start of the book.
This was a fun rambling piece! I liked what worldbuilding there was. Normally I hate historical fiction but I liked the twist of 'demons are real and exorcists are real fucks about it'. The banter and prose were fun and witty to read, and I liked the characterisations. It felt like a dark comedy akin to Monty Python.
content warnings:
minor: unsanitary, suicide ideation,
medium body horror, murder, whorephobia, explosions, death, anti evolution, bone fractures, injuries, torture, slavery, child trafficking, murder,
major death, blood, possession, religion christianity,
Fair warning: a sex worker
This was a fun rambling piece! I liked what worldbuilding there was. Normally I hate historical fiction but I liked the twist of 'demons are real and exorcists are real fucks about it'. The banter and prose were fun and witty to read, and I liked the characterisations. It felt like a dark comedy akin to Monty Python.
content warnings:
minor: unsanitary, suicide ideation,
medium body horror, murder, whorephobia, explosions, death, anti evolution, bone fractures, injuries, torture, slavery, child trafficking, murder,
major death, blood, possession, religion christianity,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Murder, Death, Torture, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
yavin_iv's review
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Child death and Death
emakay's review
challenging
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child death, and Death
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