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lue_moon's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
While I liked the premise and the unexpected queer rep, this ended up as a "meh" book for me. I should have known when it was compared to If We Were Villians, it wasn't going to be for me.
I did like much of the writing in this book, but a lot of the story felt equal parts confusing and unnecessary. There was trauma on top of trauma and things that happened that felt like it was for the sake of some shock factor rather than to move the plot. And I know it was likely to keep readers guessing, but how many times in one book can you use the plot device of people getting interrupted right before they reveal important information? (It happens so often to the point of annoyance for me).
I do appreciate that the queer rep was just another part of the story rather than one of the main trauma points. I did like the writing enough that I would give this author another try, probably.
Oh, and pretty significant content warnings
I did like much of the writing in this book, but a lot of the story felt equal parts confusing and unnecessary. There was trauma on top of trauma and things that happened that felt like it was for the sake of some shock factor rather than to move the plot. And I know it was likely to keep readers guessing, but how many times in one book can you use the plot device of people getting interrupted right before they reveal important information? (It happens so often to the point of annoyance for me).
I do appreciate that the queer rep was just another part of the story rather than one of the main trauma points. I did like the writing enough that I would give this author another try, probably.
Oh, and pretty significant content warnings
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder and Suicide
hannrs's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
Wow, what a debut! Took some time to get into it, because I thought it was just another story about teens at school and bullying. I am too old for that. But the story totally got me hooked, could not put the book down.
Well executed dark academia in vibe and motifs with a bit of self-awareness and genre commentary.
Well executed dark academia in vibe and motifs with a bit of self-awareness and genre commentary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Rape, and Vomit
georgie_rose_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
things I liked:
• the setting was beautiful, High Realms (the school) was so vivid in my mind - I loved the vibes of the first 20%
• audio narration was good - it was read by Ellie’s friend Ell Potter and they have an interesting chat/interview at the end
• lgbt rep
• the ‘four’ characters themselves were fleshed out imo - although some of the other characters were confusing
• as this is a debut I’m excited to read more Ellie Keel in the future!
things I didn’t:
• it was quite long and lacked direction at times
• it seemed like the author grabbed a thesaurus and threw in big words in for the sake of it where they didn’t make sense and to make it sound ‘academic’ and pretentious
• romantic relationships were so random / out of nowhere and not well explored
• an ‘event’ (no spoilers) happens about 20% in that is the focus of the rest of the plot. this was not the direction I expected the book to go in and I enjoyed it much less
• it was too much? it’s so sad and lowkey traumatising from then onwards!!
I’m here for the dark academia vibes, but the plot was a little too harrowing once the setting is taken away.
⚠️⚠️⚠️
please check the trigger warnings - it’s pretty intense
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me an audiobook ARC
• the setting was beautiful, High Realms (the school) was so vivid in my mind - I loved the vibes of the first 20%
• audio narration was good - it was read by Ellie’s friend Ell Potter and they have an interesting chat/interview at the end
• lgbt rep
• the ‘four’ characters themselves were fleshed out imo - although some of the other characters were confusing
• as this is a debut I’m excited to read more Ellie Keel in the future!
things I didn’t:
• it was quite long and lacked direction at times
• it seemed like the author grabbed a thesaurus and threw in big words in for the sake of it where they didn’t make sense and to make it sound ‘academic’ and pretentious
• romantic relationships were so random / out of nowhere and not well explored
• an ‘event’ (no spoilers) happens about 20% in that is the focus of the rest of the plot. this was not the direction I expected the book to go in and I enjoyed it much less
• it was too much? it’s so sad and lowkey traumatising from then onwards!!
I’m here for the dark academia vibes, but the plot was a little too harrowing once the setting is taken away.
⚠️⚠️⚠️
please check the trigger warnings - it’s pretty intense
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me an audiobook ARC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail