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adventurous dark funny 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

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book isn’t as dark and menacing as I thought it would be! It actually turned out to be quite an insightful, sometimes comical and sometimes sad, commentary on humans and our institutions. Yes, the apparent commentary is provided through a darker narrative, but I ended up having so many philosophical and moral conversations as I moved through each characters’ stories. I think the use of a darker and over-the-top narrative worked so perfectly! In no way does this book justify such violence (nor should it), but I do think it starts great conversations and it was a fun read. 

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is labeled as Volume 1, and while the author wrote himself a loophole in case he really doesn't want to continue, I need more! I'm doing mental math based on when this was published vs. when it is set and I think Harrow may have been like 100 years old, unless the Guide was published in-universe at a different time than this physical copy has been published. This kind of mental knotting up is precisely what this book feels like all the way through in the most fun way possible. I was watching minor characters with a side-eye waiting for them to become more relevant, so I expect sequels so I can read [REDACTED] get deleted. Also, I swear the janitorial and waitstaff have something up their sleeves. Maybe with Gemma's fate, we can get a bigger glimpse at it. There are so many plays on words and puns, I can't believe it never overstepped from charming and cheeky to straight-up annoying. I think this series could really play on the idea of 'who deserves to die' vs. 'who deserves to kill', which McMasters seems to try and uphold a moral standard for...mostly... I think I would like to explore the campus a bit deeper, especially the Poison Garden and the Menagerie. ALSO THE AUTHOR WROTE AND SANG "ESCAPE (THE PIÑA COLADA SONG)"

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny informative sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Very good whimsical fun. The narration was cheeky and full of deadly euphemisms. The 1950s academic setting really worked here. The characters were surprisingly sympathetic given their field of study. The murders and methods were creative and complex. And I especially loved the audiobook performance. 
There was one aspect that kind of bothered me: That being a side character using a cross-dresser, though fictitious, as the scapegoat for their plans. While it's certainly a unique means of execution, I don't like the implications. Though I don't think we're meant to particularly like this character or agree with her, so I can't speak to any underlying bias of the author. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings