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neighborhoodbeanreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book does a great job of forcing the reader to think critically about the world around them. It's exposes the reader to what the world could be like if we were able to remove the oppressive systems in place (i.e. the police, prisons) and what it would be like if when those institutions were dismantled, how oppression, crime, and other forms of violence are practically eliminated-- or so you'd think. I found this a challenging read in that this kind of world is something one would hope for, but also forces you to reflect as to how this would play out in our world, and whether we can truly stamp out the existence of 'monsters'.
There's also amazing trans representation!!
There's also amazing trans representation!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Pedophilia, and Torture
Minor: Blood
leon3lliott's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Torture, and Pedophilia
onemamareads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/pet
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Torture
kp_writ's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
an absolute must read. the story packs such a strong punch for only 200 pages, and so much casual diversity in its handful of very well developed characters. this is the kind of book that makes you think writing must be easy from how naturally beautiful and wonderful and fantastical it reads, until you realize how much work it takes to reach that point. something to be taught in schools, for sure, bc it holds so much promise and so many messages layered into itself. i'll be thinking about this book for a long time after.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Gaslighting, and Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault and Pedophilia
random_subplot's review against another edition
dark
1.0
Heavy-handed, talks down to the reader, includes graphic violence and torture
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
gem114's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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
This is the best book I've read so far in 2021.
Pet is a rather friendly name for a 7 foot fall, horned and clawed monster hunter, but this creature is not as scary as the real monster who lurks unseen in the town of Lucille.
When Pet arrives in Lucille with the help of 15-year-old Jam, the two go on the hunt together along with Jam's best friend, Redemption.
The novel is about the quest for a monster, but the lesson below the surface is that our refusal to see the unseen, our preference to live in blissful ignorance, makes us complicit with the monsters themselves. Like Jam, Redemption, and the people of Lucille, we need to be willing to shed our comfort and our denial in order to better our society.
I really can't say enough about this powerful novel. Now I just have to find a way to sneak it into my curriculum!
Pet is a rather friendly name for a 7 foot fall, horned and clawed monster hunter, but this creature is not as scary as the real monster who lurks unseen in the town of Lucille.
When Pet arrives in Lucille with the help of 15-year-old Jam, the two go on the hunt together along with Jam's best friend, Redemption.
The novel is about the quest for a monster, but the lesson below the surface is that our refusal to see the unseen, our preference to live in blissful ignorance, makes us complicit with the monsters themselves. Like Jam, Redemption, and the people of Lucille, we need to be willing to shed our comfort and our denial in order to better our society.
I really can't say enough about this powerful novel. Now I just have to find a way to sneak it into my curriculum!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture
Minor: Vomit
spiritedfaraway's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
What does a monster look like? Jam asked.
Her mother focused on her, cupping her cheek in a chalky hand. "Monsters don't look like anything, doux-doux. That's the whole point. That's the whole problem.”
Evil takes many forms and shapes and monsters don't look or seem like monsters, until suddenly they do. Monsters are people and can be anyone: your neighbor you say good morning to, the little old lady you sit next to on the bus, a favorite family member.
And in Lucille, where it is taught that there are no more monsters? Where the adults refuse to believe that there are any bad people left?
What do you do when you have to reconsider everything you’ve ever been taught? And that, in fact, there is still a monster and it’s in your friend’s house.
“The problem is, when you think you’ve been without monsters for so long, sometimes you forget what they look like, what they sound like, no matter how much remembering your education urges you to do. It’s not the same when the monsters are gone. You’re only remembering shadows of them, stories that seem to be limited to the pages or screens you read them from. Flat and dull things. So, yes, people forget. But forgetting is dangerous.
Forgetting is how the monsters come back.”
Jam is horrified when Pet, a being of colors and claws, tells her there is a monster lurking near her best friend. She's determined to figure out the truth, no matter what any of the adults have to say on the matter. Because the adults are sure that there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong.
But as Jam discovers, refusing to look and see the truth doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t mean something isn’t happening. Denying the truth doesn’t make something any less true.
“A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not.”
This was an absolutely riveting and reflective read that truly packed a punch. I honestly have so many thoughts and feelings about this book, but not the words to describe how amazing this book was. I will definitely be thinking about this for quite a while.
Her mother focused on her, cupping her cheek in a chalky hand. "Monsters don't look like anything, doux-doux. That's the whole point. That's the whole problem.”
Evil takes many forms and shapes and monsters don't look or seem like monsters, until suddenly they do. Monsters are people and can be anyone: your neighbor you say good morning to, the little old lady you sit next to on the bus, a favorite family member.
And in Lucille, where it is taught that there are no more monsters? Where the adults refuse to believe that there are any bad people left?
What do you do when you have to reconsider everything you’ve ever been taught? And that, in fact, there is still a monster and it’s in your friend’s house.
“The problem is, when you think you’ve been without monsters for so long, sometimes you forget what they look like, what they sound like, no matter how much remembering your education urges you to do. It’s not the same when the monsters are gone. You’re only remembering shadows of them, stories that seem to be limited to the pages or screens you read them from. Flat and dull things. So, yes, people forget. But forgetting is dangerous.
Forgetting is how the monsters come back.”
Jam is horrified when Pet, a being of colors and claws, tells her there is a monster lurking near her best friend. She's determined to figure out the truth, no matter what any of the adults have to say on the matter. Because the adults are sure that there couldn’t possibly be anything wrong.
But as Jam discovers, refusing to look and see the truth doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t mean something isn’t happening. Denying the truth doesn’t make something any less true.
“A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not.”
This was an absolutely riveting and reflective read that truly packed a punch. I honestly have so many thoughts and feelings about this book, but not the words to describe how amazing this book was. I will definitely be thinking about this for quite a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Torture
Minor: Rape
A character does dissociate in a scene and thinks about it a couple times as well.horizonous's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Rape, and Sexual violence
moeckles's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I don't know if I have the proper words, but I can tell you this is one of the best books I have read in a long while. The pacing, the characters, the everything was just. so. good. Please please pick this up if you are at all interested. I am absolutely going to find and read everything Akwaeke Emezi has written now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, and Body horror
halfwaytoaugust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
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