Scan barcode
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Racial slurs
Minor: Medical content
theuncannydani's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Racism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Stalking, Classism, Death, Car accident, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual harassment, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Confinement, Alcohol, Suicide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Cursing, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug abuse
the_true_monroe'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
4.25
Definitely a psychological thriller, with similar vibes to ‘Get Out’ (although both are completely different stories focusing on different aspects of horrors related to racism).
4 stars because there was a lot I wish was expanded upon, like a follow-up on characters such a Belle, Scotty, Andre and Jack.
Also, I absolutely love how on the author’s websites there is art depicting the major characters. I have a hard time visualizing things based on descriptions and that really helped! I only found it writing this review since I went searching for one of the character’s names.
I really enjoyed the author’s note, which mentions how the book was written over the course of her college career which is very symbolic to the course of the story.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Outing, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Racism, and Stalking
Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Blood, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Vomit
jareadforfilth'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? It's complicated
4.25
The complexities here are profound and this is a wonderful but horrifying representation of how I’m sure it can feel to live as a black person in a white patriarchal culture. I love the queer black Rep here, it’s so important to have more and more representation of non-white queerness and to have the intersectionality of homophobia and racism that bleeds through.
This book becomes so much more than I was expecting and I was gripped and so terrified for Chi and Devon the entire time! There was just so much each of them had to endure coming on them from all directions and it was horrifying and soooo stressful, like they really only have each other and they’re not even friends which I think is profound in itself—they’re forced to have each others backs even though they don’t particularly like each other all because of the color of their skin, but NO ONE ELSE can be trusted. It’s unfair but such an impactful message by the author.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Homophobia, Stalking, Murder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Hate crime, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Stalking, Child death, Gun violence, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Murder, Police brutality, Alcohol, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Violence, Abandonment, and Grief
spooderman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Car accident, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Outing, Mental illness, Slavery, Cursing, Stalking, Body shaming, Colonisation, Misogyny, Gun violence, Vomit, Death, Violence, Torture, Murder, Abandonment, Bullying, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Confinement, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Drug use
Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy
brie333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
It was a great read. That being said, check the cws, don’t let TikTok fool you. This gets deep.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization
solenodon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Blood, and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Murder, Racism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Child death, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Confinement
therainbowshelf'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? It's complicated
4.0
📘The Gist 📘: Chiamaka and Devon are high achieving students at Niveus Private Academy. No doubt, they’re college-bound! Until, that is, anonymous texts from Aces start pouring out their secrets (and blatant lies about them) to the school! As they work to find out who Aces is, they find that not all is as it seems at Niveus.
📒Representation📒: bipoc mc, mixed race mc, gay mc, low income mc
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Racism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Drug use
Nonconsensual nudity, cyber bullying, white supremacy, terrorism, death penalty