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scout_jones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Really fun read, breezed through it. Easy to read but still with mysteries I didnt guess straight away and a world I still wanted to explore after I did. Romance was very much a sub-plot which I prefer - much more found family centred.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
sapphicsoilscientist's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Death
lettuce_read's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Child death and Bullying
diadoodle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and Child abuse
charlottx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I wasn’t too fond of our protagonist in the beginning but I greatly enjoyed all of the side characters/ villains! I look forward to reading more of Schwabs works and hopefully I can find some that have more horror elements as that’s what I thought I was missing in this book!
Loved Matthew <3
Loved Matthew <3
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
mallorypen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Overall, this was an “eh” for me. The concept of a shadow/mirror realm ruled by the dead was cool, but for the length of the novel it was kind of surprising how not a whole lot actually happened.
I did like the idea of Death having his four soldiers (horsemen of the apocalypse?) and that Olivia’s mother was helped by one of them and ultimately fell in love with him. Their story seemed much more interesting than Matthew and Olivia meeting as long-lost cousins and the last scions of the Prior family.
I also didn’t have much of an emotional connection to Matthew, Thomas, or anyone else other than Olivia and her mother. Even then, I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading to find out what happened to them next.
The climax of the story where Thomas isn’t actually alive felt kind of blah. The betrayal of Death, Matthew sacrificing himself for Olivia, and Olivia commanding the ghouls in the real world didn’t give me any big emotional payoff.
The spooky melancholy feel was a mood the entire read, though.
I did like the idea of Death having his four soldiers (horsemen of the apocalypse?) and that Olivia’s mother was helped by one of them and ultimately fell in love with him. Their story seemed much more interesting than Matthew and Olivia meeting as long-lost cousins and the last scions of the Prior family.
I also didn’t have much of an emotional connection to Matthew, Thomas, or anyone else other than Olivia and her mother. Even then, I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading to find out what happened to them next.
The climax of the story where Thomas isn’t actually alive felt kind of blah. The betrayal of Death, Matthew sacrificing himself for Olivia, and Olivia commanding the ghouls in the real world didn’t give me any big emotional payoff.
The spooky melancholy feel was a mood the entire read, though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
jes312's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Great world building, but not much happening in the world. The premise hooked me (the main character can see ghouls) , but there characters didn't have much depth (I wasn't really impacted when Matthew died . I wish there was more insight into Olivia's feelings at the end, how she feels about moving forward and knowing her predicament/fate wasting away like Matthew . Or maybe she won't, because of her dad and being partially from the other world? .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Ableism
alexlynx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Oh man how I loved the first 2/3 of this book. The writing is so good, bury me in her words honestly. The story started and it took me less than 5 pages to be completely drawn into this world. The main character has that kind of grinning, deserved revenge thirsty personality that I really like and the mysterious, creepy elements were not too intense but still made me shiver.
But then I feel like the story suddenly revolves around itself for way too long before any kind of official explanation is given, and when there is finally one it's not very surprising, which maybe wasn't the intention anyway but the absence of said explanation was so loud that it felt like there should have been some new element. That also extents to the plot twists, except for the fact that her father was actually made by the monster, most of them were pretty obvious.
And the last pages, the finale one could say, felt very very rushed as if there wasn't enough time and frankly not enough ideas on how to resolve it.
With the vibe of this book starting of so dark and lonely, I would maybe even have preferred a more tragic rather than a happy ending.
I still stand by the fact that the foundation of the story was really great and I haven't had my imagination run that wild in a long while. I will definitely check out other books by Schwab but I think I'll also be hunting for a book with a similar vibe and a more fitting ending to feel a little more closure.
But then I feel like the story suddenly revolves around itself for way too long before any kind of official explanation is given, and when there is finally one it's not very surprising, which maybe wasn't the intention anyway but the absence of said explanation was so loud that it felt like there should have been some new element. That also extents to the plot twists,
And the last pages, the finale one could say, felt very very rushed as if there wasn't enough time and frankly not enough ideas on how to resolve it.
I still stand by the fact that the foundation of the story was really great and I haven't had my imagination run that wild in a long while. I will definitely check out other books by Schwab but I think I'll also be hunting for a book with a similar vibe and a more fitting ending to feel a little more closure.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Suicide, and Violence
iane_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Gore and Physical abuse
lildawnprince's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Animal death