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goodthingsread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I was confused by it. Several have labeled this as "middle grade," which seemed to make sense when I started the book. The story is set in a near future where it seems all the bad people in the world (abusers, racists, etc.) have been removed, those who suffered have been healed, and the people in charge are those who helped cleanse the world. The world's terminology for all of this is "angels" vs. "monsters." The angels who are in charge now helped get rid of all the monsters and there are no monsters in the world. (Of course this is not true and the story will revolve around hunting a monster.) The problem is this choice of wording and the way it's been taught to the children of the world, including our narrator Jam, makes the narration all sound and feel very childish. There's no nuance, which would make sense in a MG book. But quickly Jam is shown to be at least 16? So the simplistic narrative feels very off.
Jam's mother, Bitter, is an artist, and she paints a monster (a real monster, a creature of monstrous design) who escapes its canvas. It bonds with Jam and informs her that it is here to hunt a monster in her world. Initially, Jam cannot believe that any monsters exist in her world, but when the creature -- Pet -- informs her that the monster is related to her best friend, Redemption, she chooses to join the hunt.
What confuses me about the world building is that if the angels were wise enough to realize that rehabilitation was necessary for some monsters and that the victims needed therapy and care to recover, then it seems to me that they should have built a society that focused enough on mental health that it would still recognize the signs of abuse and unhealthy mindsets. Instead it's a world that simply says, "Once there were bad people. But we tore down that world and rebuilt it and there's no evil anymore." They were smart enough to see the evil in the system in the first place, but apparently too arrogant to allow for the possibility that it will come back in the future?
Unfortunately, that's not the focus of the story, so I'm not sure what the author's intention there was. The focus of the story is Jam and Pet, as well as Redemption. I'm also unsure what the moral of the story was exactly. The story hints at the idea that being too focused on the hunt, on eradicating monsters, can make one a monster. But instead a literal <i>deus ex machina</i> comes in to save the day, so... I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to be taken from the story other than monsters are everywhere and we can never stop looking for them.
Moderate: Physical abuse and Child abuse
laurensgaylife's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Child abuse
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Murder, Pregnancy, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Blood, Police brutality, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, War, Pedophilia, and Gore
ebp's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse
Minor: Physical abuse
senation1s's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse
tyra16572's review
- 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
5.0
Minor: Sexual harassment, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Violence
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
Minor: Pedophilia and Blood
summerb's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Murder, Transphobia, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Rape, Vomit, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, and Homophobia
choicepotatoes_yetagain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
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just as powerful the second time around
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse
broken_biscuits's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse and Physical abuse
They never actually describe the child/ physical abuse, it's just very plot relevant.