Scan barcode
mmefish's review
‘Tis not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Body horror
archaicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
I was a little weary after hearing this was YA because every YA I read usually ends up being some cliche love triangle filled with tropes, so I was happily surprised when Extasia was so visceral and original.
Set in a misogynistic utopia of the future called Haven, Amity is a devout follower of God, even allowing herself to be beaten weakly to atone for her womanly sins. However, once she stumbles upon a coven in the woods and her own powers, Amity starts to realize that everything she once believed is a lie.
Extasia does not shy away from the horror in Haven, and at times I had to remind myself that yes even though I just read about someone’s bones being snapped in half this is a YA book! It was genuinely eerie and disturbing, and the characters were not only lovable but diverse! So much representation in this book, and it’s done so well.
I highly recommend this one! Only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars, is because towards the end the story tends to drag on and I feel like it could have ended much
Set in a misogynistic utopia of the future called Haven, Amity is a devout follower of God, even allowing herself to be beaten weakly to atone for her womanly sins. However, once she stumbles upon a coven in the woods and her own powers, Amity starts to realize that everything she once believed is a lie.
Extasia does not shy away from the horror in Haven, and at times I had to remind myself that yes even though I just read about someone’s bones being snapped in half this is a YA book! It was genuinely eerie and disturbing, and the characters were not only lovable but diverse! So much representation in this book, and it’s done so well.
I highly recommend this one! Only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars, is because towards the end the story tends to drag on and I feel like it could have ended much
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Domestic abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Sexual violence, Violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
micaelamariem's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Last month, I ordered a one-time book box from the Unplugged Book Box. They are a book box focused on self-care, and in it I recieved beautiful smelling lotion and perfume as well as a copy of Extasia by Claire Legrand (published by Katherine Tegan Books). Due to the packaging, it made the read even more pleasant with a heady aroma on each page.
But more about the actual book.
Claire Legrand is a former musican turned author with eleven published novels under her belt. She tends to focus on darker and grittier subjects for middle grade and young adult audiences. However, her debut into the adult fantasy world is coming with the Middlemist trilogy, releasing in spring 2023.
Extasia is a young adult horror novel with a specific focus on religious trauma. When the World That Once Was came to an end, God spared one community of people to create Haven and live by His ways. The main character, who goes through a series of names, is about to be annointed a Saint. She hopes with her sainthood she can stop the evil that has been leaking into her village, killing men. But there are dark beasts that follow her and a dark power seeks her out.
I am quite new to the horror genre as a reader. I’ve always interacted with horror tv shows and haunted houses and reading dark fantasy, but I haven’t read a lot of actual horror. So, I’m not quite sure by what criteria I should review this by. It did have a great gothic dark atmosphere, perfect for the witchiness of the plotline. There were also plenty of gory scenes, for those more inclined to body horror. I will say that I personally didn’t find it scary so much as compelling and enticing, where I wanted to turn the pages to see what happens next. However, I’m weird and don’t scare by things that ought to be scary.
I also loved the themes of this book. As someone that has encountered a bit of religious trauma myself, I am curious and like to read about religious horror or books with religious themes–whether for good or for bad. But what really drew me in was the main character’s lesson that things in the world was not all black and white and that perhaps we all have a darkness inside of us.
I thought the main character’s development was really done as she went from someone blindly following what she’d been taught to opening her eyes and questioning everything, even herself. The other characters, however, were not as nuanced. Still, my favorite characters–Blessing and Samuel–didn’t disappoint me.
There were a few minor things that bothered me about this book. It bothered me that all the feminine names were nouns–Temperance, Rage, Hunger, Blessing, etc. It felt like we were too on the nose with these names, really overteaching the lessons of the book with their name changes. There were also a few minor inconsistencies–like when the girls had to write something and could despite saying they never learned their letters. And also, the main character’s father didn’t make sense to me, in some ways. There were a few scenes that made his whole arc confusing to me.
Overall, I’m giving this book three stars. It was good and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t something I’m obsessed with nor can I ignore the flaws.
Some other forms of art this book reminded of: The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The 100.
Trigger warnings: body horror/gore; violence against women; domestic violence; forced imprisonment; attempted rape; torture; cannibalism; someone being burnt alive; death of a parent; religious trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Cannibalism, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Child death, and Sexual assault
mswarning's review
dark
mysterious
medium-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
3.25
Finding it hard to rate this book. I liked some of the elements of the story: post-apocalyptic, feminism, patriarchy, high control society, witchcraft, and ghosts. But they didn't really fit together well in terms of plot. And the F/F romance feels a bit superficial, kinda insta-lovey in a disappointing way. Ending is left open for a sequel, but I'm unsure if we'll get one.
Check out the trigger warnings, there's a lot in this book.. Very misogynistic society.
Check out the trigger warnings, there's a lot in this book.. Very misogynistic society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Body horror, Violence, Death, Murder, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Sexual assault, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, War, Death of parent, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content and Fire/Fire injury
simplyammee's review
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
steffi_23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual assault
abookishwasp's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This had all the ingredients to make a perfect book, a book that I would be obsessed with, but for some reason I did not become absolutely obsessed with it. I went into it completely blind, no knowing what it was about and I was pleasantly surprised by all the elements of the story, normally I absolutely devour stories like these, but there's something I cannot put my finger on about this book that made me not enjoy it as much.
I am not sure if it's the writing or the characters or the pacing or the narrator of the audiobook. None of these particularly put me off but at the same time none of them were able to grab my attention and keep me interested. My favourite part about this is the story itself as a whole, the concept and the setting, which is very atmospheric. Also towards the end the story took a turn that I did not quite expect that kind of left me dumbfounded and it just didn't really seem to fit with the vibe while it did make sense.
I am not sure if it's the writing or the characters or the pacing or the narrator of the audiobook. None of these particularly put me off but at the same time none of them were able to grab my attention and keep me interested. My favourite part about this is the story itself as a whole, the concept and the setting, which is very atmospheric. Also towards the end the story took a turn that I did not quite expect that kind of left me dumbfounded and it just didn't really seem to fit with the vibe while it did make sense.
Overall it was an okay book but it lacked something for me. I would however recommend it if you enjoyed "The Year of the Witching" by Alexis Henderson and the tv show Salem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death, Body horror, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement and Sexual assault
lady_moon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
While reading, I was thinking that this is a total 5 stars read... Until the ending came. Like, it was reasonable and it's my fault I don't like dystopian's stuff that much. But after they found Hope everything went kinda meh for me. Maybe, maybe, if it wasn't for the Jaime's chapter, I would have considered giving it 5 stars anyway but it just... It was so unnecessary. I do not want a sequel. Part of Extasia's charm is that it's a standalone. I did not need this kind of epilogue. Took off the epilogue from Jaime's POV and the book will be perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Misogyny, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
thebookishvalkyrie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a haunting story that will keep you thinking about it long after you’ve finished reading it. The prose are beautifully creepy. The horror elements are visceral, hooking into your subconscious and lingering on the edges of your conscious mind. The sapphic witchy vibes are exactly what I hoped for. The end is satisfying. Though there was a moment where I worried that the twist was tired one - but it’s been spun into something new and I enjoyed it in the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Violence, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, War, and Grief
Minor: Racism
camillessi's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. (Thank you!)*
Firstly, I wanted to express how surprised and disappointed I am that there is no official trigger warning list for this book. I searched the author's website and the publisher's site and did not find any. With the amount of disturbing and potentially triggering content that is in this novel, I think that would warrant at least a warning, especially as this is a book written for teenagers. That said:
CONTENT WARNINGS: Gore, body horror, sexual assault, abuse (domestic abuse, child abuse, religious abuse), animal death, cannibalism, misogyny, minor character death
Claire Legrand's books tend to be hit-or-miss for me, but with how much I loved Sawkill Girls, I was excited for another horror novel from her. This did not, however, live up to my expectations. As always, the prose was generally beautiful and mostly flowed well, and the way the plot fit together was clever. The atmosphere throughout was dark and heavy, well-fitting for a horror novel.
But the downfalls (to me) were too many for me to say I really enjoyed it (and certainly not to the extent that I enjoyed Sawkill Girls). I felt that this book relied too heavily on the violence and the shock value of it in efforts to get its point across. It becomes clear rather early on that the men of Haven are the villains in this story. But the constant gruesome deaths and murders of these men seemed gratuitous and made it feel like I was getting hit over the head repeatedly with the "ALL MEN ARE HORRIBLE" message. I can understand the message fine without men getting mangled until they are unrecognizable every other chapter. It wasn't even just the men's deaths either—everyone who dies in this novel reaches a gruesome end that is described in painstaking detail. This could be attributed to Legrand's excellent imagery in her prose, but I also felt that after a while, it became tedious. I found myself skipping past paragraphs and pages describing torture and mutilation, and really didn't feel like I missed out on anything in my reading experience by doing so.
The catalyst for the protagonist Amity's quest I also found rather confusing. I reread the passage several times trying to figure out why it made sense for her to make the decision she did just based on a vague fable from her town. The quest itself was interesting and brought plenty of tension that eventually I was able to ignore that it didn't make sense. But it certainly pulled me out of the story for a while.
Furthermore, the big reveal near the end felt anticlimactic and reminded me too much of other post-apocalyptic novels.
Overall, this book might be great for people who don't mind the unsettling content and enjoy straightforward messages. The female friendship was strong here, despite it feeling slightly underdeveloped. I also liked how a supporting character was given a (rushed) redemption arc—I think they deserved one.
I think this book was not to my personal tastes, which is fine. I wanted to put it down many times, but felt I needed to finish it in order to write an honest review. I can't really say I enjoyed reading it, but it did hold my attention after about the halfway mark. Additionally, I haven't read YA novels in a few years now, and so found some moments in here cheesier than I might have previously. But those who are used to reading in that category may not be bothered by it at all!
Like I said at the beginning, this author is always a hit-or-miss for me, so even though I didn't enjoy this book, I will still be on the lookout for more releases from her.
Firstly, I wanted to express how surprised and disappointed I am that there is no official trigger warning list for this book. I searched the author's website and the publisher's site and did not find any. With the amount of disturbing and potentially triggering content that is in this novel, I think that would warrant at least a warning, especially as this is a book written for teenagers. That said:
CONTENT WARNINGS: Gore, body horror, sexual assault, abuse (domestic abuse, child abuse, religious abuse), animal death, cannibalism, misogyny, minor character death
Claire Legrand's books tend to be hit-or-miss for me, but with how much I loved Sawkill Girls, I was excited for another horror novel from her. This did not, however, live up to my expectations. As always, the prose was generally beautiful and mostly flowed well, and the way the plot fit together was clever. The atmosphere throughout was dark and heavy, well-fitting for a horror novel.
But the downfalls (to me) were too many for me to say I really enjoyed it (and certainly not to the extent that I enjoyed Sawkill Girls). I felt that this book relied too heavily on the violence and the shock value of it in efforts to get its point across. It becomes clear rather early on that the men of Haven are the villains in this story. But the constant gruesome deaths and murders of these men seemed gratuitous and made it feel like I was getting hit over the head repeatedly with the "ALL MEN ARE HORRIBLE" message. I can understand the message fine without men getting mangled until they are unrecognizable every other chapter. It wasn't even just the men's deaths either—everyone who dies in this novel reaches a gruesome end that is described in painstaking detail. This could be attributed to Legrand's excellent imagery in her prose, but I also felt that after a while, it became tedious. I found myself skipping past paragraphs and pages describing torture and mutilation, and really didn't feel like I missed out on anything in my reading experience by doing so.
The catalyst for the protagonist Amity's quest I also found rather confusing. I reread the passage several times trying to figure out why it made sense for her to make the decision she did just based on a vague fable from her town. The quest itself was interesting and brought plenty of tension that eventually I was able to ignore that it didn't make sense. But it certainly pulled me out of the story for a while.
Furthermore, the big reveal near the end felt anticlimactic and reminded me too much of other post-apocalyptic novels.
Overall, this book might be great for people who don't mind the unsettling content and enjoy straightforward messages. The female friendship was strong here, despite it feeling slightly underdeveloped. I also liked how a supporting character was given a (rushed) redemption arc—I think they deserved one.
I think this book was not to my personal tastes, which is fine. I wanted to put it down many times, but felt I needed to finish it in order to write an honest review. I can't really say I enjoyed reading it, but it did hold my attention after about the halfway mark. Additionally, I haven't read YA novels in a few years now, and so found some moments in here cheesier than I might have previously. But those who are used to reading in that category may not be bothered by it at all!
Like I said at the beginning, this author is always a hit-or-miss for me, so even though I didn't enjoy this book, I will still be on the lookout for more releases from her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Body horror, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death, Gore, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault