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summerbummer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Child abuse
Minor: Body horror
bkyng313's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Incest
alex_wordweaver's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book has everything. Trans/nonbinary characters. Autistic characters. Polycules. Afrofuturism. Biblically accurate angels. It made me cry and I want to give Pet a hug.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
mel_j's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
That was brutally beautiful. What a wonderful, important book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Transphobia
yofrere's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Incest and Child abuse
julieyael's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was absolutely not what I was expecting (I bought it as a horrir book. Well, it’s about another, more real, kind of horror)
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story.
I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it.
I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial.
Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste.
Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people.
It just didn’t « click » for me.
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more).
Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously.
I enjoyed the way it’s written bringing tension to the story.
I would have liked a deeper character building, but the novel is quite short, so maybe there was not space for it.
I also felt that the particularities of the characters were a bit forced. It’s interesting and nice to find such a diverse set of characters and families, but sometimes it felt a bit artificial.
Maybe if it had been written as an adult novel, not YA, it would have been more to my taste.
Overall, the book finds its purpose and is a good read, and I am sure it will find a good audience and be useful and meaningful to a lot of people.
It just didn’t « click » for me.
I am glad I read it once, but it probably wonnt go on my list of novels that I can read twice (or more).
Also, the subject is pretty heavy and the warnings should be taken seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Rape, and Violence
katewillread's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
It truly pains me that this was a disappointment.
What I did like- the seamless inclusion of diverse characters. I also thought the many ways Jam communicated as a selectively mute person (speaking, sign language, and telepathically with Pet) was done well and was, for me, easy to follow. The use of the library as a safe space and the importance of knowledge and asking questions. The theme of addressing a problem at the root to solve the underlying issue rather than locking it away and learning nothing from it.
What I didn’t like- felt like Jam and Redemption were written as 12 yr olds (or younger honestly) but the themes were too heavy so Emezi had to age them up to fit the genre but didn’t change any of the dialogue to match. They were 16ish but sounded so much younger, which I found very distracting. I wish we had more on the rehabilitation centers that were meant to replace prisons and what that looked like in the grand scheme of the world. The violence at the end should have felt gratifying considering the crime but there was a disconnect somewhere and it fell flat for me.
What I hated- the fact that it’s explicitly said that it’s useless for kids to reach out to their trusted adults for help in scary situations.
“Maybe one of them tells the monster, and it hides even better than it’s hiding now. How will we find it then?” (This is when they’re considering talking to Redemptions parents)
And then this logic is proven right when they don’t believe him. Jam never considers talking to her parents bc she’s already deep in a lie and now “she knew how to keep things from them.”
Why not go to Ube???
What does this leave the reader with except an innate helplessness and a recommendation to confront “monsters” themselves without any aid??? I realise that in our world it’s not always as easy as child victims confiding in an adult and immediately being believed but this was an excellent opportunity to show what to do then, keep reaching out to trusted adults in times of need. There are no “Pets” in the real world that will miraculously solve problems, there was an opportunity to show real life solutions and it did the opposite in my opinion.I almost didn’t finish once I got to the point where this came up and only finished it with the hope that I would be proven wrong. Unfortunately I’m just angry now.
What I did like- the seamless inclusion of diverse characters. I also thought the many ways Jam communicated as a selectively mute person (speaking, sign language, and telepathically with Pet) was done well and was, for me, easy to follow. The use of the library as a safe space and the importance of knowledge and asking questions. The theme of addressing a problem at the root to solve the underlying issue rather than locking it away and learning nothing from it.
What I didn’t like- felt like Jam and Redemption were written as 12 yr olds (or younger honestly) but the themes were too heavy so Emezi had to age them up to fit the genre but didn’t change any of the dialogue to match. They were 16ish but sounded so much younger, which I found very distracting. I wish we had more on the rehabilitation centers that were meant to replace prisons and what that looked like in the grand scheme of the world. The violence at the end should have felt gratifying considering the crime but there was a disconnect somewhere and it fell flat for me.
What I hated- the fact that it’s explicitly said that it’s useless for kids to reach out to their trusted adults for help in scary situations.
And then this logic is proven right when they don’t believe him. Jam never considers talking to her parents bc she’s already deep in a lie and now “she knew how to keep things from them.”
Why not go to Ube???
What does this leave the reader with except an innate helplessness and a recommendation to confront “monsters” themselves without any aid??? I realise that in our world it’s not always as easy as child victims confiding in an adult and immediately being believed but this was an excellent opportunity to show what to do then, keep reaching out to trusted adults in times of need. There are no “Pets” in the real world that will miraculously solve problems, there was an opportunity to show real life solutions and it did the opposite in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, and Child abuse
broken_biscuits's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
A super tough read, emotionally. Didn't connect with it right off the bat, but once I got into it it was really, really good. Definitely go into it feeling stable and ready to go deep.
Content Warnings
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.softgalaxy's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
This was a very short read, which is my biggest criticism. But overall, a solid read.
It’s a very haunting story to read when you live in a world that has the very popular phrase “fake news”. This book was much larger than itself. Literally, like Pet. As you read, you feel the real world loom over you.
I really liked the lack of emphasis on Jam’s trans identity. Sometimes in books, there has to be a whole chapter dedicated to a character and their struggles being trans. Jam was just transgender and that was that. Trans people just exist.
Pet was a bizarre ‘monster’ - you sadly don’t get to understand where Pet comes from - like why did it come out of a painting? Obviously there’s a lot of symbolism to unpack, but you really could be here all day.
The reason this review is not a full 5 stars is because of the ending - it seemed to backtrack on everything the book was saying.Making an evil character have a physical flaw is a harmful ableist trope.
It’s a very haunting story to read when you live in a world that has the very popular phrase “fake news”. This book was much larger than itself. Literally, like Pet. As you read, you feel the real world loom over you.
I really liked the lack of emphasis on Jam’s trans identity. Sometimes in books, there has to be a whole chapter dedicated to a character and their struggles being trans. Jam was just transgender and that was that. Trans people just exist.
The reason this review is not a full 5 stars is because of the ending - it seemed to backtrack on everything the book was saying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Child abuse
Minor: Blood, Gore, Body horror, and Dysphoria
azalia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, and Child abuse
Minor: Body horror, Cursing, and Gore