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nindie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Stalking, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Grief, Gore, Car accident, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Incest, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
emperorluzco's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The twist at the end came out of nowhere.
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Murder, Stalking, Abandonment, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy
kam_be's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Death, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Murder, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Incest and Panic attacks/disorders
yafi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Death, Cursing, Murder, and Confinement
Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Misogyny, Blood, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
m4rtt4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Death, Confinement, Grief, Murder, Death of parent, and Stalking
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Violence, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
annabulkowski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy, Gore, Classism, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Alcohol, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Cancer, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Confinement, and Child death
neronina'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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Cursing, Violence, Car accident, Sexism, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Addiction, Drug use, Suicide, and Classism
Minor: Cancer and Incest
leoniekross's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
We follow Grace, the protagonist, as she narrates how she successfully killed several members of her family over the course of, I would say, about a year or two but was imprisoned for a murder she claims she did not commit.
The plot, while based on an exciting premise reminiscent of the tv series Revenge (if you haven't seen it, I can recommend it far more than this book), was sorely lacking in consistency in tension-building as well as planning and follow-through of the murders. The non-chronological storytelling definitely didn't do it any favours either.
From an editing perspective, I found the present-day prison chapters added nothing to the story and should have been omitted entirely. Would have been the same story but snappier if we had followed along as the crimes unfolded. That would even have given the chance for some insight into impulsive feelings and frantic thoughts that could have humanized the protagonist/narrator a lot.
Instead we got detached, brain-rottingly sarcastic misanthropy and fatphobic pick-me girl behaviour. After 200 pages she still keeps it up; we get it, you like nothing and nobody. Can we please. move. on. now. Sure, the author succeeded in creating an unlikable character but not in writing one I'd actually want to listen to.
All that is made worse by Grace thinking she's the smartest person in any room while behaving so dumb it hurts. She plans to murder her whole family but calling it a plan is a definitive overstatement.
Also, and this is definitely a petty one, she refuses to use the word whom. Sure, it's a nitpick but when a character is so convinced they are better and smarter than all the peasants around her, missed details like that only serve to make her look pathetic. Grace's stupidity is unfortunately what made me the most invested in this story.
The ending felt completely out of left field too. I was convinced for the longest time that
It's not cozy, not intelligent, not suspenseful, and definitely not a good set-up for the sequel that the ending seems to lead into. Can't recommend it to anyone, really.
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Stalking, Grief, Torture, and Car accident
Minor: Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Fatphobia
buecherdiebin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, Stalking, Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death of parent
maiahhtratchh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Death, Murder, Stalking, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Infidelity, Confinement, and Death of parent