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fanni_ambr_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
10/10 concept, the execution is ify tho. It's good enough, but you can tell that this is a debut novel.
There were more hard-hitting themes than I expected. The mother is such a deeply sad character. She sometimes felt more like folklore than a human for some reason. I struggled to see her as a real person. Her decisions and reactions are very much believable but there's just something cartoonish about her.
I related to Ji-wons academic failures more than I care to admit. Also, this might just be my opinion, because I didn't pick up on the author confirming or denying it, but her relationship with Alexis has undertones of a crush. Maybe in a next book we'll see (I assume by the ending that a book 2 is planned).
Ji-won's other uni friend however... The wayyyyyy Geoffrey irked me from his very first appearance is incredible.. Later the book makes it clear that his pretentiousness and surface level feminism are intentional, and he's meant to be a loser like that, but still.
George was also incredibly infuriating but I kinda skipped over some of his bullshittery because I figured that he's probably gonna die. And that brings peace into the reading experience ngl. Most of my annotations about him were simple like "JAIL" and "HELL NAH".
On the topic of disappointing men, it's ironic that the root of all troubles is the father and yet we never see him.
Ji-won's unreliable narration takes us on trips sometimes, made me question what's real and what isn't a few times. I enjoy lucid dreams in fiction, they have lots of potential.
The events that did happen were.. a choice. The rest of the book is so woven through with serious subjects that I can't not take the serial killing part also seriously. There's no way in hell that this girl got away with all that. The first kill is later in the book than I thought it would be, and sometimes Ji-won's violence is quite out of the blue. But that's all fine, the unrealistic thing is that on every scene there is her DNA, she pays no attention to hiding what she's done, and all bodies are found near to where she's been last seen. I get the part that the police is looking for a man and she probably won't be charged because they underestimate her. But even the book acknowledges that she could very easily be caught based on all the evidence she left behind.
In the end I think it's supposed to be a girlboss moment the way she ties everything together and pulls it off, but dude it was mere luck. If you wanna read her as a girlboss that's fine, but I just don't buy it.
It was still better than A Certain Hunger, this one has a lot more value and important themes, would recommend this one over that.
Graphic: Cannibalism and Body horror
Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, and Stalking
lauren_reads_outside'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
5.0
This book was hard to read, not because it wasn't good but because the characters and the imagery were so clear it was difficult to get through without flinching. In high school we dissected sheep's eyes and I've never wished more that I didn't know what it feels like to hold and cut into an eyeball as I did while reading this book.
I do wish the queer coded scenes with Ji-won and Alexis went a little bit further as they just sort of end up as an aside to the main story. The main story though really tells of a woman who simply has reached the edge and snapped and honestly who can blame her.
Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Misogyny, Infidelity, Racism, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, and Racial slurs
Minor: Pedophilia and Pregnancy
chrissypops'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
This was a great, fun quick, gory read of Ji- Won and her increasing obsession of blue eyes after she tastes her first fish eye at home. The narrative was medium paced at the beginning picking up to a fast pace from half way through the book. The descriptive gore when Ji-won starts realising she's addicted to eyes is well done, because it's added with the dread and the build up of the obsession.
I feel that this book also tackles loss, grief, mental heath and abuse very well. The Korean culture and expectations was interweaved within the narrative beautifully and made for a wonderful tense read. Would love to see this released into the audiobook world!
Graphic: Gore, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Sexism, Stalking, and Misogyny
mals_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
this told the story of a young girl forced into womanhood by her circumstances, and the predatory, scummy men in her life that force her to be hyper-aware of every situation. as a slow-burn, you really learn about Ji-wonâs desires and motivations during the first half of the book before it really ups the ante midway through.
i think itâs length can take away from the story a bit since itâs a shorter novel, and the reader is being told certain things or events rather than shown, but that pushes the fast-paced plot along smoothly. but this is a commentary on fetishization, patriarchy, and over-compensation/performative allyship wrapped up into a body horror-heavy (though not disturbingly so!) novel.
but i really, really adore Erewhon & their books and look forward to this release + other future 2024 releases!
Graphic: Xenophobia, Body horror, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Mental illness
Minor: Stalking
shelbykate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, Racism, Cannibalism, Violence, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
laurenj1398's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs and Stalking
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexism, and Stalking
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Gaslighting
madelinereadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Murder, Stalking, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Self harm
Minor: Toxic friendship, Car accident, Cancer, and Vomit
illtakethenightshiftx'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Racism
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Pedophilia and Racial slurs
aedoran08'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
5.0
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, Racism, Abandonment, and Stalking
Minor: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Grief, and Drug abuse