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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Minor: Miscarriage
The way the plot was going was predictable for me, which is saying a lot, because I’m not good with catching foreshadowing and stuff.
There was a lot of repetition and it was really hammered into me that Silas is autistic. After a while, I was like “okay, I get it, I REMEMBER what he’s like and how he acts bc of his autism”. Some of it could’ve been edited out in my opinion. Because of this, it feels like it was written for a younger YA audience. (Or I just don’t know what the reading level for older teens around Silas’ age is like 💀)
I’m glad that they were able to have their happy ever after after everything that they’ve been through.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Dysphoria
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, War
The pacing was great and all the characters are compelling. Even the characters you dislike, they clearly add something to the plot and to the commentary of the story. The use of language, capitalization, grammar, and formatting really added to the story.
Just a great read, and I know I need to read more of Andrew Joseph White’s works.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment
The body horror was the most compelling and interesting point, less so from the mc's perspective as he never ended up actually following through disappointingly enough, but rather the ghosts and the final climax of the book delivered in spades. The surgery metaphors quickly became overused, though normally I enjoy having descriptions covered by a lens of the character's interests, perhaps because of his arrogance in regards to having any actual expertise.
One of the more frustrating things in the books is Silas' attitude towards women, where though he states that he feels for them and has a better understanding of their plight in society, he nevertheless only ever refers to surgeons as "he" and there's several description of women that have hints of (internalized?) misogyny that are at odds with his sanctimonious outlook on his own existence.
For what promises to be a fun, gory, and messy book, it simplifies and ignores a lot of issues that would've also had a place in the story.
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia
