Scan barcode
runlaurarun's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This started slow for me, which is not unusual for a book with a lot of characters, but I ended up plowing through the second half and really enjoyed myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Minor: Child death
benji_dw's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The system of shadow blood capitalist condo magic is so fascinating that it saves my review. It’s a good book, but so grimdark that finishing it felt more of a chore than a good read. But it’s a book set in Toronto that pushes new boundaries so I don’t regret reading it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
szyca's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Body horror
kyra_joy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
I love this book’s approach on the climate change and capitalism issues that we face, it was very unique and
I found myself highlighting many of great quotes that I felt spoke to real world situations. The characters were interesting though some I enjoyed reading about than others. The only thing that leaves me to review it 4 instead of 5 is the end, didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of the read and found it went really fast in some sections. But definitely a must a read!
I found myself highlighting many of great quotes that I felt spoke to real world situations. The characters were interesting though some I enjoyed reading about than others. The only thing that leaves me to review it 4 instead of 5 is the end, didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of the read and found it went really fast in some sections. But definitely a must a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
vixenreader'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? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
As a Toronto resident, this book hit home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, Ableism, Medical trauma, Body horror, Classism, Abandonment, and Infidelity
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Racism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Drug use and Terminal illness
Be aware of fungi, viscous dissolving bodies, mould, dysfunctional family relationships, some nudity, poverty, starvation, rich people being horrible, and disassociation.tacochelle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
A neat existential body-horror/dystopia about a distant future Toronto, where rich assholes continue to build towers that physical can't hold up much longer. A sentient mold is spreading under the city and through the plumbing, as we follow a large cast of characters piecing together how it came to be this way. The narrative bouncing around like this slows it down a lot, but no one perspective ruined the story. Watching the pieces come together was beautiful and tragic. I love me some fungal horror, gotta find some more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
tigger89's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a novel that had a lot of very interesting ideas in it, but ultimately didn't really do it for me. Starting with the good, I loved the Wet and what it represented. It was creepy, disgusting, and brought the horror whenever it showed up. The reveal of how and why it thrived made sense and worked to drive home the novel's critique of urban development and runaway capitalism. In fact, the concept of this novel combined with the imagery used was so solid that it was very frustrating that it didn't land well for me.
I think the novel's biggest issues had to do with its length, as well as the number and variety of characters. What we have is a medium-length novel(350 pages) packed with a huge cast of recurring characters, as well as many more one-off characters introduced through various vignettes. This meant that I spent most of the novel struggling to remember names and who people were, constantly wondering if so-and-so was important or if we'd never hear from them again. This led to the first two thirds of the book dragging pretty hard, with my opinion somewhat soured by the time the pace picked up for the final push. At the end of the book I felt exhausted more than anything else, which isn't really the emotion you want a good horror novel to end on. I think it would have worked better either trimmed down to be shorter and snappier, or expanded to give everything more room to breathe and develop.
Does the dog die?At one point, a character adopts a coyote-dog-thing. The dog survives to the end of the narrative, but his ultimate fate is unclear.
I think the novel's biggest issues had to do with its length, as well as the number and variety of characters. What we have is a medium-length novel(350 pages) packed with a huge cast of recurring characters, as well as many more one-off characters introduced through various vignettes. This meant that I spent most of the novel struggling to remember names and who people were, constantly wondering if so-and-so was important or if we'd never hear from them again. This led to the first two thirds of the book dragging pretty hard, with my opinion somewhat soured by the time the pace picked up for the final push. At the end of the book I felt exhausted more than anything else, which isn't really the emotion you want a good horror novel to end on. I think it would have worked better either trimmed down to be shorter and snappier, or expanded to give everything more room to breathe and develop.
Does the dog die?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Violence
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
I had fun with this one - a dark story of a future Toronto crumbling under the costs of doing business. I thought it was just a little bit too long (some parts were repetitive) but overall I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death, Death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Gun violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Dementia, Excrement, and Sexual harassment
cassie7e's review
dark
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
Another sci fi made of gritty desperate vibes in a speculative future, affected by some looming threat. In this book it's both the "wet" and climate change. Books like this seem to revel in making their characters slimy, depressed, cruel or indifferent, at rock bottom, and/or with questionable and morally grey/black pasts. More than necessary. Like the book wants you to hate most of the characters instead of just understand where theyre coming from. This book has so many characters' perspectives packed into a standard length book that it didnt feel as impactful when things happen to them; you don't spend enough time to care about most of them, when the book isn't actively making you (me) hate them. So it feels dystopian but not really like horror. I felt detached. And made the story progress slowly despite being such an average length bc it takes forever to get each character up to speed.
Similar overall feel to The Wanderers (political & pandemic threats), New York 2140 (climate change and corporate ownership), For the Win (virtual reality gaming & union busting), and even Feed (zombies and politics), with varying levels of darkness and unappealing characters. Realism told from individual POV's in the face of an impending doom. (But I connected more with the characters and plots in these examples.)
I much prefer gothic/surreal/horror tones to this gritty realism that's popular right now. (See Mexican Gothic, We Spread, Annihilation, What Moves the Dead, Our Wives Under the Sea.) I think several scenes and aspects of this book would have worked better for me if we switched between short surreal scenes for some characters and kept the grounded realism for others, and wouldve made the book more concise.
Similar overall feel to The Wanderers (political & pandemic threats), New York 2140 (climate change and corporate ownership), For the Win (virtual reality gaming & union busting), and even Feed (zombies and politics), with varying levels of darkness and unappealing characters. Realism told from individual POV's in the face of an impending doom. (But I connected more with the characters and plots in these examples.)
I much prefer gothic/surreal/horror tones to this gritty realism that's popular right now. (See Mexican Gothic, We Spread, Annihilation, What Moves the Dead, Our Wives Under the Sea.) I think several scenes and aspects of this book would have worked better for me if we switched between short surreal scenes for some characters and kept the grounded realism for others, and wouldve made the book more concise.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content
oracle_of_madness's review against another edition
3.5
This was wild! I really got sucked into this one from the beginning. The idea of the spores, the gruesome consequences of coming in contact with them. And, really, at the center of it all is the hulking Marigold. This place is evil, that's certain, and if you dare to read this twisted tale, be ready for multiple angles looking at evil.
I liked this. I thought it was twisted, which is something I love. I love getting into the heads of characters and seeing the world through such a twisted viewpoint. This book has a lot packed in it and hops around to different points of view.
Okay, how many times did I use the word twisted in this? Lol. But, that's just the perfect description!
Out April 18, 2023!
I liked this. I thought it was twisted, which is something I love. I love getting into the heads of characters and seeing the world through such a twisted viewpoint. This book has a lot packed in it and hops around to different points of view.
Okay, how many times did I use the word twisted in this? Lol. But, that's just the perfect description!
Out April 18, 2023!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
More...