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stephanieluxton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The use of big words and strange metephors was weird at times and distracting. It's quite over the top. Even if ti was toned down a but to the point where it was just a poetic way of writing, I don't think it works for this book because the complicated prose doesn't align with the way our characters speak.
Our charcacters are all stereotypes. We have the protagonist (humble final girl type), rich preppy guy, the mean hot girl, the nice guy, and the jokester. This book is short so there isn't time to flesh out these characters. I think the smidge of backstory we get is really interesting and I wish it was explored more.
I didn't like this book because the plot was rushed. Group goes to haunted cursed place. Group faces haunted curse. Group wants to leave. Group figures out pretty quickly how curse works from convenient library. Tensions run high as group fractures and there's drama. Suboptimal solution presents itself. Problem kind of solved. The end.
Do I recommend? Not really. Is it totally unreadable? No. The fact that its short is both a blessing and it's downfall.
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
readingmushrooms's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Mental illness, Grief, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity
samanthalw96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Gore, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit and Infidelity
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, and Murder
spadedigsbutts'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? It's complicated
2.75
The main conflict is essentially a dysfunctional friend group's issues being exacerbated by a ghost haunting when they were already at the breaking point. Like in most horror media, the cast is pretty unlikable and are mainly defined by their relations to each other, without much nuance independently. This is a normal convention for this scenario in the horror genre, but I wish characters had more arcs or at least more detailed interpersonal relations than "x slept with x once" as the few details we do get just don't have much payoff in the book.
Most characters feel like they start and end the same, which may partially be the point considering it's a super toxic friend group, but it does leave you up in the air when it just comes to an end without much of a huge conclusion. If you read it hoping for some sort of character resolutions, you won't get it.
If you came for a cool japanese influenced haunted house story where interpersonal relationships come to a tragic head, you unfortunately really don't get that. I wish we'd had more time to develop things in the book as while the writing style is lush and detailed, the actual set elements and characters are flimsy. A good read for a bus ride or waiting at a doctor's office, but not much out. I doubt I'll ever reread it.
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Classism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying
Minor: Confinement and Misogyny
davinmotion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Alcohol
the_books_music_life's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.75
I was confused a lot of the time about many, many different things. I disliked every single character, none had any redeeming qualities.
The whole 'horror/ghost story' aspect of the book wasn't even the main focus. That's right, a horror book where the actual ghost story/horror wasn't the focus. It made no sense!
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism, Excrement, Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Grief and Suicidal thoughts
traa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Bullying, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Self harm, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit
Minor: Biphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
aparker89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Classism, Biphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Self harm, and Abandonment
ozreus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Toxic friendship, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship