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brioches22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Bullying, Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
katiebella_reads'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
5.0
Trigger warnings ⚠️
Animal abuse
Dog murder
Murder
Mutilation
Blood
Mary is about to be 50, and strange things are happening to her. She is seeing things she shouldn't be seeing. Things that are disturbing. Everyone says it's "textbook " the change. Mary knows it's not. She knows she will have to return to her childhood home to learn the truth.
" I am just a story written in present tense. We all are. We are never finished. "
My Thoughts
This book is disgusting in all the best ways. Not gag me gross but disturbing and vile. The story seeped into my marrow like an infection.
What hit me the hardest was realizing the whole book takes place in the span of 13 days. April 9th - 20th. It feels like a lot longer. If you're not paying attention to the chapters' headings, you might think it was months, the way the darkness crawls around you.
Wicker Man vibes. Purge vibes. Possession and cult vibes. All the horror vibes I could possibly want wrapped up in one amazing book. Dark atmosphere cruelly contrasts the light that Mary desperately wishes she lived in.
Mary is so well written. It's not often a man can write a woman this well. Especially a woman in the throws of perimenopause. This author has! I could feel and relate to her pain and frustration. She was real in all the best and worst ways. Multidimensional and not glossed over in femal perfection, a lot of authors try to portray.
Not only did he write one female character with depth and realism, but he also wrote many. In all walks of life. Teenage angst to elderly stubbornness. The attributes of the fairer sex are not lost on him. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Blood, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
richiebow141's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Violence, Body horror, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, and Sexism
erica_reads_things's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
zankzank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Bullying, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Rape, Torture, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Body shaming
story_of_steph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Excrement, and Mass/school shootings
kups'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
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Death, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Gore, Body shaming, Animal death, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
captainsydney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Body horror, Bullying, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Animal death
Minor: Child death
This book is super graphic and deals with a lot of heavy stuff, but I think it handles it all really well. There's A LOT but none of it felt gratuitous and all of it was handled appropriately in my opinion and worth it.sonygaystation'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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Body horror, Death, Dysphoria, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Cursing
Minor: Racism, Child death, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Deportation
_meeg's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Excrement, Gore, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts