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forgetmenot's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good book. I can understand why it isn’t something that everyone would enjoy. Yes, not much happens in the “climax” and most of the book is the relationship between mother and daughter. Not every book needs to be action packed with excitement on every page, it can still be an interesting and suspenseful read, which I thought this was. The character of Hanna at times was a little much, like the author tried too hard to make her seem evil. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to certain readers who enjoy a slow paced, psychological book that makes you ask yourself questions about the integrity of the characters.
iluvbats63's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ihateprozac's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an infuriating read, but I can't deny that I was invested!
I can see why this book didn't work for other people because it's slower, internalised, and character-driven. This is a long and frustrating journey watching a child torment her mother while being gaslit at every step of the journey. It doesn't build to a crescendo like the movie Orphan, and you're not sure whether there's going to be a satisfying conclusion for any party.
Fortunately these are all reasons why it worked for me! I love unlikeable characters and frustrating stories that make me want to tear my hair out. The gaslighting from the husband was INFURIATING and very typical of disbelieving men in horrors. The mother herself has so many issues complicating how she deals with Hanna: her own mother issues, body dysmorphia, a complete lack of friends, and MAJOR PTSD from Crohn's Disease complications.
While you just want Suzette to get the fuck out and leave her shitty husband and daughter behind, you can see how her tapestry of psychological issues prevents her from doing so. Her whole world is her husband and daughter, and her trauma keeps her trying to fix a sinking ship. You want to scream the entire time but you can see why she wants to keep helping her daughter, even when she's burning and broken.
One thing I didn't expect from this book is how it handled Suzette's Crohn's Disease and associated PTSD. Suzette's constant fear and unresolved trauma from medical complications were visceral. They really spoke to me re: some digestive issues I experienced as a child, but I think the writing is so palpable and visceral that even the most cast iron stomach would experience distress reading this. It's not for the faint of heart. Wow.
4 stars. Thought I would hate this based on other reviews, but I loved how frustrating it was. An infuriating surprise!
I can see why this book didn't work for other people because it's slower, internalised, and character-driven. This is a long and frustrating journey watching a child torment her mother while being gaslit at every step of the journey. It doesn't build to a crescendo like the movie Orphan, and you're not sure whether there's going to be a satisfying conclusion for any party.
Fortunately these are all reasons why it worked for me! I love unlikeable characters and frustrating stories that make me want to tear my hair out. The gaslighting from the husband was INFURIATING and very typical of disbelieving men in horrors. The mother herself has so many issues complicating how she deals with Hanna: her own mother issues, body dysmorphia, a complete lack of friends, and MAJOR PTSD from Crohn's Disease complications.
While you just want Suzette to get the fuck out and leave her shitty husband and daughter behind, you can see how her tapestry of psychological issues prevents her from doing so. Her whole world is her husband and daughter, and her trauma keeps her trying to fix a sinking ship. You want to scream the entire time but you can see why she wants to keep helping her daughter, even when she's burning and broken.
One thing I didn't expect from this book is how it handled Suzette's Crohn's Disease and associated PTSD. Suzette's constant fear and unresolved trauma from medical complications were visceral. They really spoke to me re: some digestive issues I experienced as a child, but I think the writing is so palpable and visceral that even the most cast iron stomach would experience distress reading this. It's not for the faint of heart. Wow.
4 stars. Thought I would hate this based on other reviews, but I loved how frustrating it was. An infuriating surprise!
princessjj14's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
l888nightreader's review against another edition
2.0
if i didn’t have to read this book for a book club, i would have shelved it as DNF. y’all, the writing? the writing. it’s so. so. unbearable at times. the plot has been done before (nothing wrong with that), but with that comes a huge challenge, aka doing it better. and this book completely failed the test for me. i was uncomfortable with the writing of a seven year old girl, the language used throughout and the constant inclusion of the mothers previous illnesses. i’m not against characters with autoimmune diseases or anything but…what was…the point? was it added just to be a character trait? i didn’t see the point. i didn’t see the point of much tbh.
this gets a 2/5 for me and only because they shipped that girl’s ass to an institution.
this gets a 2/5 for me and only because they shipped that girl’s ass to an institution.
thetejana_bookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
The summary was intriguing but the execution was closer to one of those 90s Lifetime movies or a long AITA post on reddit in which everyone voted “definitely asshole” but the poster was like “Nah I did the right thing”.
johnny92m's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this book as a gift from my boss at work, intrigued so much by the description. It sounded dark, twisted, and I was here for every bit of it.
Then about halfway through the book, I was willing myself to find something happening. The story never really evolved past the concept for me. No twists, or true character developments between either Hanna or Suzette (other than them both seeming to become worse people in the end). Worst of all, no real resolution by the end left me feeling like a lot of time was wasted. Not my favorite read.
Then about halfway through the book, I was willing myself to find something happening. The story never really evolved past the concept for me. No twists, or true character developments between either Hanna or Suzette (other than them both seeming to become worse people in the end). Worst of all, no real resolution by the end left me feeling like a lot of time was wasted. Not my favorite read.
meandrousshark's review against another edition
dark
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
corix's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0