Scan barcode
reddeddy'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: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, War, Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, and Deportation
amalas_bookstop'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
3.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Minor: Death of parent
alynclifford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Blood, and Pedophilia
holliesatchell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
quechl'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
4.0
that being said i definitely have a few nitpicks. preston could have been more fleshed out; i wanted more of him, his thoughts and perspective and we just dont see that. i really liked him as a character, but we dont ever really get to see what hes thinking, which i found to be a real shame. the same can be said about the worldbuilding; i LOVE that stuff, and what we do get is really interesting!!! the different saints, local traditions, cultural differences, all of it really tickles me, and its a real shame that the audience (and by that i mean me) wasnt given much chance to read more about it. i want to know about this world, and i felt like it could have been used to further prestons background as well! we had snippets of him telling us sayings, but that was it!! hes supposed to be a passionate lit major!! let him dump info on us!!! i get why it was done, considering the pacing of the book, but its a real shame nonetheless.
and finally, my most major gripe is that the 'twist' was just... predictable. i thought it was going to be a red herring, but no, that was the actual twist, which i found frustrating, especially because effy thinks about the obvious answer like partially once, and then never again. it felt like these clever characters kept missing the clearest answer, and that annoyed me, because the rest of this book really is great. its moody and enticing and tense, and the blurring lines between real and fake is really engaging.
Graphic: Misogyny and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Animal death
chelbawamba'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? It's complicated
2.75
Overall, the concept of the story was interesting, but the way it was executed was extremely predictable. I knew early on what most of the reveals at the end were going to be. In my opinion, there is a fine line between good foreshadowing and offering too much too early on.
A personal pet peeve of mine is when characters speak about each other as if they’ve known each other for a long time when it’s only been a few days, for example: saying things like “he’s always been kind to me,” or “I had never seen him this flustered” when the character only knew the other person for maybe a collective three hours. This happened frequently in the first half of the book.
I didn’t not enjoy it, but I also didn’t enjoy it. Would not necessarily recommend it, but it had its moments and kept me engaged through the end.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Colonisation, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Death, Car accident, Addiction, Xenophobia, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Classism, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
paolaspov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual assault
akevaa'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: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
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: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Body horror, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
goldenjoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Rape, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Sexual harassment