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Clueless meets Mean Girls meets a really bad trip, I could not put this down. Compulsive, claustrophobic, compelling and downright bizarre. I loved it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Classism
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
but that was also frustrating. we got so lost in samantha's mind (which is an impressive writing feat, so clearly masterfully done), that it was incredibly hard to find the "point" of the story. the book feels like it has so much to say, so much that it can say, and i wish for there to be a "point" to it all. for the book, or the author, to tell me how to read it, how to interpret it. but maybe the beauty is in how multi-interpretable it is, in the end, and maybe the fact that i feel this frustration only means the writing is that good, because this is a book that i keep coming back to and re-thinking about.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
I really liked the narrator, Sophie Amoss. I felt like I was in the head of the main character when she was narrating and I could easily picture all the different characters by the voices she used. Her voice is also soothing.
As for the story itself, I loved it. What I actually enjoyed about it was the psychology of the main character and the depiction of creative block and the depression that can be linked to it. I’m an artist and I could relate to some things she said. How we can feel like an impostor sometimes and feel blocked or not good enough and then craving a connection to others to get out of our self-made isolation but also not wanting to.
I liked how all Sam’s emotions : fear, uncertainty, desires… were represented. Without spoiling anything, I interpreted the rituals depicted (please check content warnings) in the book more as a representation of creativity and desire. And I thought it was really interesting.
It has strong dark academia vibes. Which I’m a sucker for. I like also exploring the mentality and struggles behind cults and this book definitely and intimately explores that. It has mean girl vibes and it was nice to see how the author explores the meaning of sisterhood, girlhood, love and desires.
The relationship between Ava and Sam was what kept me hooked. I hoped for more to be honest but I won’t spoil too much. I guess that their relationship is… complex.
I’m definitely gonna get a physical copy, re-read it and annotate the hell out of it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Classism
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Rape, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis