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overbookedmama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Classism
fraxica'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
chrisnotfromorlando'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? It's complicated
5.0
It touches on the way men wield their power over women, the way grief and trauma takes hold and slowly etches away at you, what it’s like to live your life in survival mode and feel alone in the world, and much more.
It also has absolutely beautiful prose without ever feeling purple, and some of the most tactile descriptions I’ve ever read. You’ll find yourself lost in the dark academia, gothic setting as if you too were walking through the slowly decaying mansion, wondering if the Fairy King is lurking around the corner.
Oh, and the romance is the cherry on top. A sweet, slow burn that adds just enough warmth to the story.
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Body horror, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
cloudyatlas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
missgnomers'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? It's complicated
I think the themes are well handled in this lite thriller
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal death
maregred'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lizlikes_books's review against another edition
3.75
- "I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown.”
“Oh no, Effy. That’s not what I meant at all. You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too." - "I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me."
- "It was an eternal feeling, this sense of being unwelcome. No matter where she was, Effy was always afraid she was not wanted."
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
girrllie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
louisepea'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
3.0
Effy, the only female architecture student at a prestigious university, wins a contest to redesign the home of her favourite late author.
Troubled by visions of the fairy king her whole life, as well as dealing with sexual abuse from her professor, and an uncaring mother, Effy hopes it will be an opportunity to escape her demons, and finally prove herself. But when she arrives at the dilapidated estate which is threatening to crumble into the sea, Effy discovers another student is secretly attempting to prove that her favourite author is a fraud and the book she finds solace in was penned by another writer.
Effy is furious, but Preston wants her help, and putting her name on his thesis could open doors in the literary college she longs to enter but can't because she's a woman.
With her role to redesign the house proving to be more complicated than she thought, and her host a creepy lech, Effy secretly teams up with the insufferable Preston to uncover the truth about the author and the origin of her favourite book.
Their quest takes them on a dangerous journey which sees them facing two men willing to do anything to hide the truth. a predatory fairy king attempting to claim what he believes is his, the unforgiving forces of nature, and perhaps most perilously of all, their growing feelings for each other. *Gasp*.
Can Effy and Preston uncover the truth and alert the world or will their curiosity see them paying the ultimate price to someone determined to keep it a secret?
*
I was so excited to read this book, but considering the hype online, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, and while I enjoyed it, I guess I'd anticipated so much more.
It was a weird but atmospheric little read about two rival students who team up to secretly uncover the truth about their favourite late author and his most famous book while staying in his creepy, dilapidated old house on other assignments. To be honest, this was a pretty boring storyline I had little interest in, but the threats from their lecherous host, a creepy fairy king, the eerie house, and the elements themselves made it a great, moderately-paced read, and kept me turning the pages. (Although, I felt the addition of a fairy king was a really odd choice for this YA academia / mystery, and made little sense to the story. I think it would've been better without this fantasy aspect).
I really liked the two main characters, Effy and Preston, and their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance was adorable in a way only young love is. Preston sweetly vowing to look after Effy, a vulnerable young woman who'd known nothing but neglect, fear, and sexual abuse her whole life, might have melted my cold, dead heart. I loved how he always had her back, even when they had different views, and the way she made him blush was too cute.
I was on the edge of my seat during the scenes in the flooded basement, when it seemed like all hope was lost for a happy ending for the two of them, and it added a much stronger climax to the story than the truth that unravelled about the author and Angharad. To them, I say 'meh.'
Overall, I thought it was a suspenseful three star read with an interesting setting, likeable main characters, and some good lessons to be learnt. But did it wow me? No, not as much as I'd hoped.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
monicaabarrett'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
3.5
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment