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narsere's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Confinement, Animal death, Vomit, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Alcoholism
callistag1'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Sexism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Murder, Gore, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Classism, Vomit, Violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
ceebee86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am not fully convinced of its "horror" label. There were moments where I thought it was disturbing and gross for sure--just like The Juniper Tree fairy tale. But this was more sad than anything.
I found Marlinchen to be a bit aggravating at first but it really does just take some getting used to. She's not so much aggravating as she is sad. The profound effects of abuse permeate her very mentally ill mind.
On this subject I thought the novel really hit. It was very real. The parental and sexual abuse, the honeymoon reconciliation and the rest of the stages in the cycle of abuse, the way siblings grow to use each other for their own survival, and the trauma bonding, were all just so so real.
My one major gripe is that it did slip into a repetitive or redundant style. The book mentions breasts and nipples a lot. And yeah maybe there was an intent to it thematically, but at some point it just became too much. I was tired of it.
And also the constant "I am ugly and my two sisters are beautiful" schtick. I get it. Characterizing women only by their one most defining physical feature is very much a fairytale trope, but it's so tiresome in the context of a contemporary novel.
I believe Reid said this book thematically revolved around the advancement of society under capitalism. That was an undercurrent across the book as a whole. And I thought it established the atmosphere and setting really well.
Overall, a decent read but not for the impatient or those with weak stomachs.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Eating disorder, Gore, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Cannibalism, Confinement, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism and Antisemitism
ktame001's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Torture, Grief, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Addiction, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, and Alcoholism
startjpw23'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Vomit, Death, Gore, Confinement, Child abuse, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
readingwithkaitlyn'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Vomit, Xenophobia, Addiction, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Misogyny, Child abuse, Death, Animal death, Violence, Alcohol, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gore, Classism, Medical content, Sexual assault, Blood, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Self harm, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, and Hate crime
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Incest, Racial slurs, Infertility, and Infidelity
Beastiality.bohemianhermit04's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Eating disorder
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Confinement, and Physical abuse
orangewitchling's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Body horror, Misogyny, Gore, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, Violence, War, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
2_black_dogs's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Vomit, Bullying, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Gore, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Death
pinkpapercrane'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
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Torture, Self harm, Eating disorder, Child death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Animal death, Pregnancy, Gore, Confinement, Cannibalism, Body shaming, and Adult/minor relationship
This book is very dark and very tense, there are some in depth descriptions of sexual violence, with references to it throughout the book.