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vixenreader'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Confinement, Fatphobia, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Torture, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Death of parent, Bullying, Violence, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Abandonment, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Child death
Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
Please be aware that there is ageism against middle-aged women, cult activity, family dysfunction, murder of a family member, and purposeful glorification of a serial killer.cold_boy's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Murder, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse
toofondofbooks_'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
4.0
This book took awhile for me because it was just a lot. It was a lot emotionally and the writing was the kind of writing that demanded my full attention, so while I read this I couldn't be around people or multitasking. it had to just be me and Mary. I'm glad I took my time, and I'm glad I experienced it this way, and a couple of times I felt chills go down my spine at certain horror elements that I will not disclose here. I enjoyed the themes all throughout and wrote down a bunch of quotes in my journal. The afterword is also required reading for anyone who is brave enough to get to the end.
My main critique is that there were some scenes that really dragged and I think that if they had the fat trimmed off of them, they'd be more effective and the book wouldn't need to be as long.
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Fatphobia, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Bullying, Cursing, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
eeefann125'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Abandonment, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Bullying, Death, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Violence
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
none of the twists feel earned since they were all so easily guessable (like noooo way, mary is the serial killer reincarnated??? oh say it isnt so...surely nobody guessed that at all) and because of that, fell entirely flat. like never once was i caught off guard by a piece of info or shocked or felt as if anything we learned put anything into place snce everything felt obvious from the beginning. like we KNOW there's something wrong with mary from the beginning. we know she killed her neighbours dog. we know that. its obvious. like...i dont even know what else to say about that. it was all just SO badly implemented.
also like it truly is a little mind-blowing how this book still managed to drive home the old 'the serial killer is just a crazy psycho on the loose' despite the fact that i dont think that was meant to be the case...? thats an entirely horrible trope in and of itself and the fact that this book has it in it, just a somewhat misdrect from the entirely obvious plot point, is BAFFLING to me. like it adds nothing the story. nothing. and like..are we supposed to care about mary? are we supposed to sympathize with her? feel pity for her? i hate her. i wish she died out in that fucking desert. i wish the furies would have clawed her eyes out and skinned her the way the members of the flock do to their sacrifices. thats what she deserves. she is a horrible woman, through and through, with no redeeming qualities. i dont believe for even a SECOND that she was ever acting not of her own volition and that its all blamed on 'being the reincarnation of damon cross', aside from the few times he Actually took her over. but before that? before she knew? no; that was all mary.
the only few good parts about this is, at least, that the book is at least self-aware. i appreciated that there was a little bit of satire against true crime culture and it did seem to have (some) insight into what women g through during their lives and how they change during menopause, but those parts were few and far between.
the book also just isnt scary; except, maybe, scary how bad it is.
and to answer the question in the authors afterword which is, directly; 'Was this a story I should have pursued? Or should I have let it scratch in vain inside the haunted trunk of ideas that sits inside every writer's brain?' yes; you absolutely should have locked it away and never looked at this idea again, for fucks sake.
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Child abuse, and Mental illness
crispr_breadboard'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
4.75
Another impressive note— the author wrote with notable care and sensitivity about menopause- he has also written an afterword discussing the very real and complex topic of whether a man should even be *allowed* to write about the topic with such core themes around womanhood, menopause, and self identity. He did a fantastic job, which he acknowledges is also thanks to his editor and her team of sensitivity readers. Great work.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Gore, Grief, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Cursing, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Fatphobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Excrement, and Death of parent
Also has creepy scenes about insects too.wylovat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Child death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Animal death, Confinement, Blood, Cursing, Body horror, Body shaming, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Vomit, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
cantfindmybookmark'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexism