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brooketreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I enjoyed the pieces about the amusement park, the first chapter about the Amazement Park, the meeting of the inner circle, and the finding of the journal. But, all the other filler was just not great for me. We didn’t need them getting dropped off on a deserted road, the dinner, the spa, or the nightly base camp stuff.
I needed more horror and for no one to survive. There doesn’t always have to be survivors in the end.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Cursing
victor_constantine's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
bluelillybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
After a very mysterious and intriguing prologue, the first two chapters felt rushed to me. We get introduced to a bunch of new characters, including the 13 others canditates of the game and the main character, as well as the host of the game. That's a lot of information to throw at a reader in the first chapters of a book! I get that this tempo might throw some people off, but believe me it. is. worth. it. And I totally get now why we had to rush through those first character portraits (but would 20 more pages really have hurt? i think not).
The plot picked up quick and I was immediately immersed in Kiersten White's world. I liked how I didn't care for some characters and cared a lot for others, just like our main character Mack does. Following several characters' point of view into their hiding places increased suspense and helped the reader put together clues before Mack could with the little information she had.
Can I just say without spoiling anything that I love Brandon and he deserves the world and I'd come live with him in his grandma's house and play games with him and eat pizza and knit him a Christmas sweater and make friendship bracelets ANY DAY.
Also, lesbians! Also, Greek retelling! What's not to love?
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
carleneb's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism
cady_sass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This was SO promising. A hide and seek competition with a potentially sinister backstory, 14 people in a hunger-games style competition to battle to the end for $50k? Set in a creepy, run down amusement park? Sign me up! Also, that cover! 😍
Unfortunately there are just too many characters and all of them lack depth, I couldn’t tell you anything interesting about ANYONE except for Mack, the most primary character, and even her backstory is muddy and doesn’t feel fully fleshed out. Honestly the best part was the ending, and the very last line in the book- “who fucking cares”
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
patchy_at_best's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Lesbophobia
_egg_wash's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide
jenc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
vaguely_pink's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and War
connorjdaley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a fourteen person, seven day hide-and-seek competition. Two people can get out a day and there is only one single winner. With $50,000 on the line, even with the game running from sunup to sundown daily, who wouldn’t be enticed into playing? Of course nothing is as it seems, there’s the horror.
At only 240 pages, this is a rather short one. Yet it still felt like kind of a slog to me. The story takes a strange amount of time to get going, the characters’ backgrounds play so heavily into the story and yet most of them are pointless or even unbelievable. The exposition takes away almost all of the creepiness…and let me tell you, this could have been a really creepy story.
The last section of the book though I really did enjoy (although even that felt like it went on for a little too long) which saved it. Once the truth is out the novel kind of goes balls-to-the-walls for the last 40 or so pages. Still in no way creepy or scary, but at the least I was entertained and interested to see what happened.
Kind of into it, but I didn’t love it.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail