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vic_to_ria's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
Read the content warnings before reading
This wasn’t bad- just not for me.
I was expecting more folklore based storytelling but it was more allegory based.
I wasn’t getting the folklore- cozy dark academia vibes everyone was talking about and felt like that could have been played into more. It just felt too real to me, like it could have all been chalked up to mental illness rather than magic, and the unreliableness of the main character while interesting at times felt like it needed more focus on the reactions from other characters to balance it all out. Idk
The book did have a strong female empowerment theme all throughout and showed the truly darkest sides of being a girl in any age, not only a one where girls can’t enrol in literary higher education. I think that there should have been a content warning before the book explaining the themes- I read the ebook so maybe the physical did I’m not sure but I feel like I would have liked to know going in it was not going to be a decently fun time like I thought. It just made me sad reading it because everything that was happening could happen in real like in terms of the harassment and sexism- terrible men do terrible things with it hard being able to trust one after they consistently one by one prove you can’t in fact trust them. This book maybe unknowingly depicted abusive relationships in a clever way with how the plot paralleled the literature they were studying and comparing it to possession.
I think my main problems was that it wasn’t escapist enough for my likings- more fiction with sprinkled folk lore than a true fantasy.
Again maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace or prepared to read it when I did so give it a go after reading some warnings from others to see if it’s a good fit for you.
This wasn’t bad- just not for me.
I was expecting more folklore based storytelling but it was more allegory based.
I wasn’t getting the folklore- cozy dark academia vibes everyone was talking about and felt like that could have been played into more. It just felt too real to me, like it could have all been chalked up to mental illness rather than magic, and the unreliableness of the main character while interesting at times felt like it needed more focus on the reactions from other characters to balance it all out. Idk
The book did have a strong female empowerment theme all throughout and showed the truly darkest sides of being a girl in any age, not only a one where girls can’t enrol in literary higher education. I think that there should have been a content warning before the book explaining the themes- I read the ebook so maybe the physical did I’m not sure but I feel like I would have liked to know going in it was not going to be a decently fun time like I thought. It just made me sad reading it because everything that was happening could happen in real like in terms of the harassment and sexism-
I think my main problems was that it wasn’t escapist enough for my likings- more fiction with sprinkled folk lore than a true fantasy.
Again maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace or prepared to read it when I did so give it a go after reading some warnings from others to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
esthergreenwd's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
the_wandering_wisp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Violence
seasoledad's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book. The writing is so beautiful. The book has some creepy moments, which I am not used to reading, but I liked them. It was perfect for the Halloween season. I predicted from the start that Angharad is the real writer of the book but I still wanted to know the full story. There was still a bit of mystery that I wanted to find out.
This story not only focuses on the mystery of Emrys Myrddin but also on how Effy processes her trauma as an SA survivor. It was devasting to read how much she went through. She is surrounded by people who either do not believe her or put the blame on her. She finds herself encountering men who make her feel inferior. But I liked how she gradually processes her trauma and eventually feels empowered to stand up for herself. That was emotional to read.
I also enjoyed the romance between Effy and Preston. It wasn't the main focus of the book, which I liked. They're complete opposites, which causes them to clash a lot but they eventually set aside their prejudices and understand each other. They come to respect each other and from that respect comes love for each other. It was sweet. He is a gentleman to Effy, and he uses his privilege as a man to assist Effy in fighting against the patriarchal system in academia. Love that for them.
Overall, a good book to read if you want to get into gothic horror.
This story not only focuses on the mystery of Emrys Myrddin but also on how Effy processes her trauma as an SA survivor. It was devasting to read how much she went through. She is surrounded by people who either do not believe her or put the blame on her. She finds herself encountering men who make her feel inferior. But I liked how she gradually processes her trauma and eventually feels empowered to stand up for herself. That was emotional to read.
I also enjoyed the romance between Effy and Preston. It wasn't the main focus of the book, which I liked. They're complete opposites, which causes them to clash a lot but they eventually set aside their prejudices and understand each other. They come to respect each other and from that respect comes love for each other. It was sweet. He is a gentleman to Effy, and he uses his privilege as a man to assist Effy in fighting against the patriarchal system in academia. Love that for them.
Overall, a good book to read if you want to get into gothic horror.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
muchadoaboutliz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
jessversteeg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“Haunting and tender” one author said of this book on the back jacket cover. I agree.
It’s a weird, gothic book that crosses over university life and fairy folklore (or is it folklore?). It could easily be made into a thriller movie released at Halloween. It’s creepy and tender, but also quite sad.
A huge theme in the book is both the treatment of women and the ways women are perceived. There are a few pretty awful quotes about how women are either seductresses or submissive, how they’re unable to produce any real intellectual work etc. It also becomes clear early on in the book that the main character was taken advantage of by her academic advisor, and she basically has severe anxiety/ptsd over it. Her anxiety about her life experiences makes her wonder if she’s crazy or not, many people tell her she’s crazy and making stuff up. The story juxtaposes folk monsters with real life sketchy men. It’s about fighting back against abusers.
I doubt I’ll read it again, but I’m sure I’ll think about it a lot in the future. I kinda think it should be high school required reading so teens can learn about power dynamics and consent, believing women, etc.
Here’s a quote from the end that gutted me:
“I know I beat him in the end, but for so many years all I could do was run and hide. I just sat there and let the water pour in around me. I didn’t know that I could fight back. I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown.”
It’s a weird, gothic book that crosses over university life and fairy folklore (or is it folklore?). It could easily be made into a thriller movie released at Halloween. It’s creepy and tender, but also quite sad.
A huge theme in the book is both the treatment of women and the ways women are perceived. There are a few pretty awful quotes about how women are either seductresses or submissive, how they’re unable to produce any real intellectual work etc. It also becomes clear early on in the book that the main character was taken advantage of by her academic advisor, and she basically has severe anxiety/ptsd over it. Her anxiety about her life experiences makes her wonder if she’s crazy or not, many people tell her she’s crazy and making stuff up. The story juxtaposes folk monsters with real life sketchy men. It’s about fighting back against abusers.
I doubt I’ll read it again, but I’m sure I’ll think about it a lot in the future. I kinda think it should be high school required reading so teens can learn about power dynamics and consent, believing women, etc.
Here’s a quote from the end that gutted me:
“I know I beat him in the end, but for so many years all I could do was run and hide. I just sat there and let the water pour in around me. I didn’t know that I could fight back. I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and War
anna_xiety's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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
4.75
I loved this book so much- I was hesitant to start it because I had high hopes for it, but it definitely lived up to them. I think the start was a little slow but the pacing builds up and I love how Reid handles the issues in the book. and how the characters stories connect with each other ( put as a spoiler just in case)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and War
dom_brlw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.5
A surprising read, with a strange yet very well built world. It had me always expecting the worse, trying to figure what would come next but being gradually more surprised after each chapter. It was a very enjoyable read!
The negative part of the book will have to be the writing though, that sometimes felt too cliché, or too « Wattpad »-like.
The negative part of the book will have to be the writing though, that sometimes felt too cliché, or too « Wattpad »-like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
fairyko's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
Minor: War
bellyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, and Sexual assault