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cburns13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OK, I really enjoyed this one & I was hooked from the start. It's a perfect mix of horror & fantasy with an undercurrent of social commentary. The first chapter sets the scene as an unnamed character walks home from a party alone - I would say that most women who have walked home alone in the dark in a deserted area would recognise the feeling of being on high alert of your surroundings & the fear that lurks. It's no accident that only women can wield magic (i.e. power) in this book & the (mainly male) witch-hunters want to take it away. It is inclusive of trans women by the way. My only (minor) observation is that I wasn't sold on the Jude/Emer romance but that's only because I felt there was little chemistry between them & out of the 3 main characters, I liked Emer the least. Overall though, it was a gripping read & that cover is perfection.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Hot Key Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Domestic abuse and Animal death
leos_library'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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Vomit, and Body horror
Minor: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Sexism, and Physical abuse
anna_may's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Excrement, Blood, Gore, Vomit, Grief, Classism, Torture, Stalking, Cursing, Sexism, Murder, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, and Body horror
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Physical abuse, and Vomit
ramreadsagain'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
Krystal Sutherland is really proving herself to be the exception to the rule when it comes to Young Adult literature for me. House of Hollow was excellent and this probably even exceeds that. This book really had that "one more chapter" feel, especially after the 80% mark; I've not stayed up late just to finish a book for so long but this truly had me hooked.
I loved all of the fantasy aspects, the interesting take on witchcraft was a highlight for me, particularly the world building around demons.
The main characters all felt very realistic, which I think is an achievement when you consider their extreme (and extremely different) upbringings. Their flaws felt real, done really well, and created an excellent dynamic between them as well. There was just enough of the romance subplot too, it never took over and I thought it was cute.
Some twists were a bit obvious, while others made me gasp as I only realised connections a couple of lines before our characters did. This to me is the perfect balance, I'm not against obvious twists but also enjoy being completely surprised. I've seen people comparing the 'obviousness' of the twist(s) here to the one in House of Hollow but I saw the HoH one coming a mile off too lol
It's not quite a 5 star read for me, partly because of the amount of convenience they experienced, for example
This was such an enjoyable read all the way through and I think that young women and girls will really enjoy this for its (albeit slightly heavyhanded) introduction to some fundamentals of feminism and the history of witch burning. I think the book created a really good balance between "witches are real in this world and they were persecuted" and "witch hunting was a tool used to oppress and control women". I think Zara's motivations too are a really great message and I love how her
Overall I really loved this and I'd absolutely recommend this to urban/contemporary fantasy fans as well as young adult readers.
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, Body horror, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual harassment, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Vomit, Cannibalism, Classism, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Stalking
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, and Child death