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bookishloz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual violence, Body horror, Blood, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Cannibalism, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Violence
catsy2022's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Fantasticland is a retrospective fictional horror novel presented as a series of interviews by Adam Jakes, a reporter doing a piece on the fiasco that was Fantasticland. During the late 2010s, Fantasticland, a theme park built in Florida in the 1970s, was hit by Hurricane Sadie and isolated from rescue services, who deemed the park livable due to the supplies that were reported to be in the park.
I think this book is probably best digested as audio, due to the formatting of the story. It unravels through successive interviews from people who were outside the park to those on the edge inside and then finally with the leaders of each faction in the park. I personally found the book a bit of a slog to get through and I think the structure might have been better if we worked backwards from inside the park to outside, rather than hearing the same story over and over again from the interviewees.
I wasn't particularly shocked or moved by the story, but I found the speed at which people resorted to violence a bit unbelievable, especially when the overall message of the book is that modern people can't cope without social media. (So they turn to violence and tribalism.)
It was fine to read, I would probably only recommend it if you wanted to read another book like World War Z, and if it was real, you'd probably hear about it on a true crime podcast.
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Violence, Kidnapping, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
gssll_lpz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Confinement, Murder, Blood, Gore, Death, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Bullying
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual harassment
beth_waller97'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: Death, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Excrement
ashlikes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Torture, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Blood, Child death, Medical content, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Minor: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Mass/school shootings
cassidybolton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
anne311's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Violence, Excrement, War, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Confinement, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
bookedaroundtheworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Kidnapping, and Gore
finleyfrogreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Child death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Terminal illness, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
archaicrobin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The story is told through different interviews of survivors from the park massacres and others involved in the tragedy that occurs at the park. This style of storytelling works so well for this book because you’re hearing it like first hand accounts. You have to piece the story together from different interviews just like you would if this had actually happened. I was recommend the audiobook, since each interview is voiced by a different person and it must add so much more to the story! Unfortunately my library only had the digital print version, but I might still check out the audiobook later down the road if I’m up for a reread.
Fantasticland is gruesome but it also has moments of dark humor and glimpses of the underlying themes of toxic masculinity, good vs. evil, and the dark truth of what humans are capable of when faced with survival and a complete lack of authority.
A lot of negative reviews I saw about this book were stating how unrealistic it all is, but honestly I don’t think it’s all that crazy. We see everyday the evil and hate that humanity is capable of, how is this any crazier? And that, that knowledge that, hey this isn’t really that unbelievable, is what makes this book so eerie.
Personally, I absolutely LOVED this and would highly recommend it to anyone that’s looking for a unique, fun take on survival horror! Was it perfect? Of course not, there’s a few typos and some things I would have liked resolution on but overall, the plot, the storytelling, the characters, the horrifying actions that occur, it’s all what make a great horror read and far out shadows any of the negatives in my opinion. Fantastic Land promised a fantastic time and it delivered.
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, and War