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ehmannky's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
meltingpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is a very slow-moving book and there really isn’t a lot of plot, mainly just a lot of abuse and the main character feeling unworthy. The writing was also way more stylistic in this than in the first book, to the point where half the time I had no idea if magic was real or just a metaphor. In fact, there was quite a bit of this that was just metaphor.
I also really did not connect with the characters, and that’s something that I need in my books in order to enjoy them. They don’t necessarily need to be likable, but I do like to understand their thoughts, feelings, and motivation.
With this book being set in the same world as The Wolf and the Woodsman, there is no explanation to the social structure within this book so it’s almost a requirement to read her other book in order to fully understand the world this is set in. Throw in the fact that it’s been over a year since I read The Wolf and the Woodsman and I don’t remember much about this world. With this being a standalone set in the same world, there should’ve been more world building present in this book.
There is also a mystery of a monster killing people in the town, but there is nothing really going on with that until the very end and it was just kind of thrown in as a semblance of a plot. If someone were to ask me what exactly this book is about, I don’t even know if I would be able to describe it other than trauma and a little bit of a slapped together mystery. The first line of the synopsis also mentions the curse, and that really was just an excuse for the father to abuse all three of his daughters. I also found myself questioning if the curse was real or if the father just used it specifically to abuse his daughters.
As a warning, all the relationships in this book are toxic, a lot of scenes are pretty graphic. There are graphic sex scenes, killing and dismembering of a creature (animal death), plenty of murder, cannibalism, gore and body horror, child sexual abuse and incest, antisemitism, tons of gaslighting and abuse by family members, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, bulimia with some graphic descriptions, pedophilia, sex trafficking, and also a scene including bestiality. These trigger warnings were not present in the copy that I read, and I believe a few of these were missing from the comments on Goodreads that I think would be helpful.
Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Rape, Vomit, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Death, Child abuse, Body shaming, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
natkimbrough's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Vomit, Self harm, Body horror, and Eating disorder
slvt4b00ks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This has been my all time favorite book I have read. Period. Reid is a master of weirdly beautiful and unique metaphors and other literary devices. I had no idea people could write and create such beautiful captivating atmospheres that are equally as horrifying and dark.
I couldn’t name all of the trigger warnings that this needs to be filed under. There were parts of this that were very difficult to read. Expect rape, abuse, alcoholism, cannibalism, self mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, so on and so forth.
That being said I think the author touched on every single one of those sensitive subjects with brutal honesty and also something like grace.
For a majority of the book I found the story very character driven. Toward the end it picked up but it was so worth it. Highly recommend!
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Torture, Violence, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Vomit
wonderfulwaytooweird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cannibalism, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Vomit, and Drug use
hberneking's review
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
chloevienna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny, Abortion, and Rape
florecita_lectora's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Eating disorder, Murder, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent and Self harm
mfallon3491's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Classism, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, and Vomit
ktkeps's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Vomit