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thissagreads's review
- 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? No
3.75
The only way to kill the monster is using another monster’s blood, silver, and plasma. PLOT TWIST! Don/Pastor Thomas evilly spawned Allison without her knowledge, so she could be groomed to become the human sacrifice later at 18yrs old, full of the monster’s blood. Latavia finds out but doesn’t tell Allison, and also discovers that Pastor Thomas has been trapped in the town for 200 years and was trying to escape from the monster because once you make a deal with the monster, you’re tied to it and cannot go too far, ie, can’t leave the town. Well since Pastor Thomas has some of the monster’s/snake’s blood in him, he gains near immortality and the power to shape shift. So he played by the monster’s/snake’s rules but the whole time he was plotting to kill the monster/snake while basically being a cult leader to the town, convincing the people that the sacrifices were necessary, all so he could plot to escape! He’d have Allison killed (because she’s got the monster’s blood and that can kill the monster), and then the pastor was going to skip town because he’d no longer be tied to the snake. But because Latavia was an unwilling sacrifice and told the snake last minute, she made a deal with the snake HERSELF that she’d help find and destroy the barriers for the snake, so the snake could get revenge on Don/Pastor Thomas! And in return the snake would dole out murderous revenge on those who dragged Latavia to the woods to be sacrificed. In the end, since Allison was the last barrier, thus making Latavia weak all the time she was around her, so they decided they couldn’t be together. And since Latavia and the snake were pals by the end of the book, the revenge shifted towards Pastor Thomas, who escaped when the snake was shedding and at his weakest. So Latavia and the snake left town (he can shapeshift into a small garden snake) to find Pastor Thomas.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality
Minor: Animal cruelty, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
ghostlyprince'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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Homophobia
bibliophil_leah's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Blood
gatorademachinegun's review
- 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
5.0
the most amazing ending I’ve ever read. I canopy recommend this one enough. Fast paced stand alone with Excellent queer rep and a diverse cast of characters
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
vigil's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
the emotional thread was all over the place, the romance proved to be quickly tiring, and at the end our main goal is implied to be accomplished offscreen after the book ends. except it wasn’t really our main goal because the original goal was made forcibly irrelevant by the narrative. at the end of the book i could only wonder what the was the fucking point? why write 400 pages of a nothingburger plot with a shit ending? why do i still think YA is a salvageable genre? what happened to the plot of the movie!
also are we still doing villain exposition monologues. even if it is YA, evil grinning cartoon villain monologuing his whole plot to the protagonist is very played out.
it’s only getting two stars for the snake.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Murder
karcitis'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: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Body shaming, Vomit, Slavery, Torture, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Blood, and Child death
_geminigenres's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Fatphobia
jazzyjbox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Avie is staying with her aunt and cousin in the small town of Sanctum before she can escape on her track scholarship to college. But things in Sanctum are weird. When Avie ends up a sacrifice for a giant snake, she'll do anything to survive. Including making a deal with a monster. She won't die for anyone. Not the town, not her aunt, not even for the cute girl Avie likes.
Jessica Lewis takes morally gray to a whole new level! Avie is an incredibly strong protagonist who finds herself torn between revenge and saving the ones she cares about. She's written as having PTSD, but I think what she experiences falls more under Accute Stress Disorder that could have developed into PTSD.
This is my first time reading this author but definitely won't be the last!
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
bookeduntil's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse