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nathanielrj'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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Dysphoria
c0rpsekat'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
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Murder, Death, and Sexism
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
kchen138'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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Gore, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Torture, Death, Medical trauma, Violence, Dysphoria, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
_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
fleurhoplof'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
3.5
Graphic: Blood and Body shaming
Moderate: Gore and Body horror
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
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
moiralyle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gore, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Death, Cursing, Body horror, Animal death, Murder, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, and Child abuse
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
minaopal'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: Violence, Murder, Vomit, Misogyny, Mental illness, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Self harm, Animal death, and Death
Minor: Death of parent