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lucianagrimm's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It is not often that a book moves me to tears, but Every Exquisite Thing took ownership of my tear ducts from the first chapter.
The world of Dorian and its chilling beauty was so beautiful and also terrifying. The mystery and plot were gripping with every passing scene with a truly unpredictable ending.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about each of the characters, each of them complicated in their own ways, but Penny felt close. I have been Penny, and in some ways I still am. The formerly gifted burnt out theatre kid who is constantly terrified of what everyone else thinks, who spent years wasted on shrinking and hiding. (And who is also a shy hopeless lesbian).
I connected with her, the struggle, the battle that can be so invisible even when cameras followed her everywhere. The distance from her mother, and the ache of a childhood that disappeared too quickly, seriously this book had me feeling everything.
Thank you for her ending. I needed that. And I’m sure there’s a lot of others that need it too.
Finally, the role of portraits and mirrors was so cleverly crafted. The unexplored liminal space of what lurks behind the painted eyes that follow you around the room or the slightly dark reflection that flickers in the corner of your eye is so captivating.
I would love an origins of Dorian, the creation of the creature of beauty that the university grounds were built on.
The world of Dorian and its chilling beauty was so beautiful and also terrifying. The mystery and plot were gripping with every passing scene with a truly unpredictable ending.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about each of the characters, each of them complicated in their own ways, but Penny felt close. I have been Penny, and in some ways I still am. The formerly gifted burnt out theatre kid who is constantly terrified of what everyone else thinks, who spent years wasted on shrinking and hiding. (And who is also a shy hopeless lesbian).
I connected with her, the struggle, the battle that can be so invisible even when cameras followed her everywhere. The distance from her mother, and the ache of a childhood that disappeared too quickly, seriously this book had me feeling everything.
Thank you for her ending. I needed that. And I’m sure there’s a lot of others that need it too.
Finally, the role of portraits and mirrors was so cleverly crafted. The unexplored liminal space of what lurks behind the painted eyes that follow you around the room or the slightly dark reflection that flickers in the corner of your eye is so captivating.
I would love an origins of Dorian, the creation of the creature of beauty that the university grounds were built on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Eating disorder, and Death
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
avignaa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
ashlynnbr's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don't leave comments often but I honestly don't know how to feel about this one, I really didn't enjoy the first two thirds of this book that much. The plot was slightly interesting but I really didn't enjoy the characters which sucks for a first person narrative. I understand why and I did sympathise with her for the trauma she experienced but Penny felt like the Queen of jumping to conclusions which just made her feel annoying to me, maybe I didn't consider her well enough early on but all of that on top of how it's written as a very 'TikTok book' (which I wouldn't mind in isolation) made it hard for me to like her.
It's strange though because after a certain point I actually started to enjoy the direction the story was heading, even if some things felt a little forced at the start, such as the primary lesbian relationship, I ended up enjoying them and feeling it was well developed by the end.Fraser being a drag queen was still kind of out of nowhere though. The story as well while still a bit rough felt far more enjoyable and emotionally engaging as it progressed with an ending that I did actually quite enjoy.
Maybe it's just because I'm yet to read Oscar Wilde's original novel, but I wanted to read a good story about awesome lesbians and I feel I only got that by the time the novel was nearly over.
It's strange though because after a certain point I actually started to enjoy the direction the story was heading, even if some things felt a little forced at the start, such as the primary lesbian relationship, I ended up enjoying them and feeling it was well developed by the end.
Maybe it's just because I'm yet to read Oscar Wilde's original novel, but I wanted to read a good story about awesome lesbians and I feel I only got that by the time the novel was nearly over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Self harm, and Eating disorder
styxx's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Grief, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Drug use, and Sexual content
drremz's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
book0logy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Murder, Death, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Suicide, Grief, and Toxic friendship
nael_doo's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Murder
emolas99's review
dark
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.0
I had high expectations for this book and, frankly, it disappointed me. I love 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and I was stoked to hear about this sapphic retelling. On the bottom line, the material is well adapted to our contemporary context: The main character and narrator Penny agrees to the making of her portrait because it promises her endless beauty, the only currency she thinks she has in this world. Penny's eating disorder is well dealt with and offers the perfect transfer of the 19th century material into the social context of the 21st. So far so good. What disappointed me was that the plot felt patchy and abrupt, the characters apart from Penny are not very fleshed out, and many reveals and explanations feel very easy. Sadly, I did not feel like this could live up to the original material in any way. And yet, I could hardly put it down because of its tension, and it reads very easily and quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Alcoholism, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
sinnybuns's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Murder, Body horror, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
hyperunfocus's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Check trigger warnings!!
I was not expecting to love this as much as i did. But this is what i want from dark academia! I loved how it expanded on The Picture of Dorian Gray, the way that themes of societal expectations and beauty and control and privilege were explored. Plot was gripping. Loved the way the mystery was wrapped up.
I was not expecting to love this as much as i did. But this is what i want from dark academia! I loved how it expanded on The Picture of Dorian Gray, the way that themes of societal expectations and beauty and control and privilege were explored. Plot was gripping. Loved the way the mystery was wrapped up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, and Death of parent