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maura_es's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
This book is, well, interesting to say the very least. As you can read in the blurb, this book is about a seven year old girl who is plotting to kill her mother. I did think this book was very well-written however Hanna’s voice didn’t really ring all that true for a 7 year old- she sounded much older. I agree with a lot of other reviewers that the story would have worked a lot better had Hanna been a bit older.
Also, this story requires some suspension of disbelief. The parents really waited this long to seek psychiatric care for Hanna? The father really didn’t ever believe what his wife said? It was a good story and a page turner but not my favorite.
This book is, well, interesting to say the very least. As you can read in the blurb, this book is about a seven year old girl who is plotting to kill her mother. I did think this book was very well-written however Hanna’s voice didn’t really ring all that true for a 7 year old- she sounded much older. I agree with a lot of other reviewers that the story would have worked a lot better had Hanna been a bit older.
Also, this story requires some suspension of disbelief. The parents really waited this long to seek psychiatric care for Hanna? The father really didn’t ever believe what his wife said? It was a good story and a page turner but not my favorite.
lisacaccamo's review against another edition
I was prepared not to like this book after reading the mixed reviews and in the end was pleasantly surprised. This is definitely not a book for the faint of heart. It is painful at times to read, but a book I am not likely to forget. From a psychological standpoint, Hannah is a very complex character that I found fascinating on so many levels. (I do agree that the age of Hannah is a bit suspect for her antics, as I find some of it hard to imagine a 7 yr old capable of, but at the same time, it adds even more credence to the story of how a child could be this dysfunctional and the parents not to have noticed). SPOILER ALERT: The end of the book is heartbreaking - no winners on any level in my opinion. As a reader you can only imagine the absolute heartbreak for Alex regarding the gut wrenching decision he needs to make. The only person who seems to win is Suzette, and though I pitied her for most of the book, in the end I really found it hard to like or respect her. I look forward to a possible sequel as Zoje has left this wide open for another book ( or 2)!
maryleong's review against another edition
2.0
"Psychopathic children" is one of my favourite tropes, and I was really looking forward to reading this in advance of the upcoming sequel. The contrast between a seemingly helpless child who is dependent on their caregivers and their ability to do horrific things is so compelling.
That being said, I enjoyed this far less than I was expecting. For such a divisive novel, I actually didn't find the plot particularly shocking or even especially engaging. Hanna hates her mother and acts out, trying to do all she can to terrorize her and ultimately get rid of her. Is part of the horror that Hanna is a little girl, her father's little angel, and people find that shocking? Because for me the story almost plodded along – Hanna does something, to mixed success, she escalates her behaviour, rinse and repeat. The ending was so abrupt and definitive – I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending with Hanna's machinations and manipulation.
Overall, this novel was pretty dull and not actually particularly unsettling – mostly just frustrating with annoying characters. It's a quick read, but it's not one that will linger in my mind.
That being said, I enjoyed this far less than I was expecting. For such a divisive novel, I actually didn't find the plot particularly shocking or even especially engaging. Hanna hates her mother and acts out, trying to do all she can to terrorize her and ultimately get rid of her. Is part of the horror that Hanna is a little girl, her father's little angel, and people find that shocking? Because for me the story almost plodded along – Hanna does something, to mixed success, she escalates her behaviour, rinse and repeat. The ending was so abrupt and definitive – I would have preferred a more ambiguous ending with Hanna's machinations and manipulation.
Overall, this novel was pretty dull and not actually particularly unsettling – mostly just frustrating with annoying characters. It's a quick read, but it's not one that will linger in my mind.
kassehface's review against another edition
3.0
i mean, i already knew i didn't want kids. but, y'all, i do NOT want kids lol
donnathededd's review against another edition
3.0
Spooky, creepy, upsetting.
I love that this is a Pittsburgh based writer and a Pittsburgh based story but the constant shout outs to Pittsburgh grew a little annoying at times. They also struck as irrelevant. If you don't live here then the street names and some references really don't matter. It seemed like a ploy to get yinzers on your side.
Aside from that , the story was very good. Easy to read, engaging, hard to put down - it has all the elements of a really good spooky story.
I love that this is a Pittsburgh based writer and a Pittsburgh based story but the constant shout outs to Pittsburgh grew a little annoying at times. They also struck as irrelevant. If you don't live here then the street names and some references really don't matter. It seemed like a ploy to get yinzers on your side.
Aside from that , the story was very good. Easy to read, engaging, hard to put down - it has all the elements of a really good spooky story.
persypie's review against another edition
4.0
”It was hard to pour endless love into someone who wouldn’t love you back. No one could do it forever.”
That was a rollercoaster. Stage crafted a world unraveling at the seams and had me second-guessing my alliances at every turn—dark, thrilling, and unputdownable.
Having read this novel twice, I find myself deeply sympathizing with Suzette as the life she carefully crafts for herself begins to unravel despite her best intentions.
I speculate now whether or not Suzette became a mother because it’s what she actually wanted or like the thing she felt she was supposed to do.
We see such a different side to her in the end: one uninhibited, willing to be selfish, and ready to take her passions to a new level. This is her fully realized side. And she could never have been that with Hanna around (everything mentally unwell with Hanna notwithstanding). It’s an interesting exploration on motherhood and how deep can a mother’s love truly go? Where is the bottom of the well?
”What a relief it became—the unmothering.”
This book is nature vs. nurture at its finest. Was Hanna always doomed to be a psychopath? Or did her upbringing and the sometimes-conditional love she felt from her mother help make her that way?
Spooktober 2024 - #3
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That was a rollercoaster. Stage crafted a world unraveling at the seams and had me second-guessing my alliances at every turn—dark, thrilling, and unputdownable.
Having read this novel twice, I find myself deeply sympathizing with Suzette as the life she carefully crafts for herself begins to unravel despite her best intentions.
I speculate now whether or not Suzette became a mother because it’s what she actually wanted or like the thing she felt she was supposed to do.
We see such a different side to her in the end: one uninhibited, willing to be selfish, and ready to take her passions to a new level. This is her fully realized side. And she could never have been that with Hanna around (everything mentally unwell with Hanna notwithstanding). It’s an interesting exploration on motherhood and how deep can a mother’s love truly go? Where is the bottom of the well?
”What a relief it became—the unmothering.”
This book is nature vs. nurture at its finest. Was Hanna always doomed to be a psychopath? Or did her upbringing and the sometimes-conditional love she felt from her mother help make her that way?
Spooktober 2024 - #3
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