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matcha_moomoo's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
emily_anne13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
keairarose's review
4.0
I will cry right now! how beautiful! only a 4 star for some pacing issues in the beginning!
one of the most endearing main characters I have ever read, in a small village under constraints, it’s hard to find your faith and what you believe in, it’s hard to try and find who you truly are and what you love. Emelie gets a chance to venture out of her gloomy normal in a marriage of convenience with her childhood best friend, but he comes from the wood, where the elders say never to go as a rabid wolf is killing villagers.
This was such a journey of coming into one’s self and finding where you belong, navigating religious trauma and family dynamics. In the beginning it took a second for me to understand the pace, but once I did I loved it. Sacrilege is a slow and steady book focusing on these two characters and the determination it takes to learn yourself and how to present that true self to others and it was a joy to read. With a wintery, spooky forest, setting and beautiful prose, I would highly recommend!
Content warnings: disordered eating habits, emotional and physical abuse (children to adulthood), violence, catholic trauma, mild gore, body horror, gender dysphoria
one of the most endearing main characters I have ever read, in a small village under constraints, it’s hard to find your faith and what you believe in, it’s hard to try and find who you truly are and what you love. Emelie gets a chance to venture out of her gloomy normal in a marriage of convenience with her childhood best friend, but he comes from the wood, where the elders say never to go as a rabid wolf is killing villagers.
This was such a journey of coming into one’s self and finding where you belong, navigating religious trauma and family dynamics. In the beginning it took a second for me to understand the pace, but once I did I loved it. Sacrilege is a slow and steady book focusing on these two characters and the determination it takes to learn yourself and how to present that true self to others and it was a joy to read. With a wintery, spooky forest, setting and beautiful prose, I would highly recommend!
Content warnings: disordered eating habits, emotional and physical abuse (children to adulthood), violence, catholic trauma, mild gore, body horror, gender dysphoria
minnow311's review against another edition
5.0
Sacrilege was recommended to me by my very cool friend with impeccable taste (thank you, Anastasia!) and I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get around to reading it because I couldn’t put it down! …and even when I was forced to I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Excellent read for anyone who can relate to wanting to escape from their small town, religious expectations, career expectations, parents/family, etc. The romance and *friendship* development was everything to me, I was kicking my feet the whole time. So much love and so much trust! Waaahhhhhh!!! Not to mention the gorgeous woodsy setting, the badass, intelligent, wonderful, non-binary main character, the witchy, occult themes, the man who built a house with a library/study and is perhaps the only man ever from now on! I absolutely LOVED this book!
Trigger warnings are listed by the author in the top review here, I’d definitely check them out! Gender dysphoria and disordered eating hit home lmfaooo (but in a good way. I felt seen.) + there was some spice if that’s something you look for or avoid! lovely if you like it and easy to skip past if you don’t :)
Trigger warnings are listed by the author in the top review here, I’d definitely check them out! Gender dysphoria and disordered eating hit home lmfaooo (but in a good way. I felt seen.) + there was some spice if that’s something you look for or avoid! lovely if you like it and easy to skip past if you don’t :)
basically_books's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this book. This was such a cozy fall read. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted a book as much as I did this one. The author does a fantastic job of both calling out the more conservative, brainwashing and damaging aspects of extreme Christianity, while at the same time being empathetic of people who were raised as such.
The only reason I’m giving it 4/5 instead of 5/5:
-The ending felt rushed
-There were parts in it where her discovery of things needed a bit more fleshing out that lasted throughout the book consistently. Her discovering crystals and just going with it felt kind of odd. Another example being when they got it on suddenly she knew the f word and seemed very much to know how s€x worked and wasn’t afraid of “non traditional” methods of being intimate with one another, which is something you’d very much expect out of how Krilansk raised their female children.
World building 5/5
Character building 5/5 except for Magda…if there is another novel I definitely want more of her in it. And the forest sprites! I need more!!
Spice was
The only reason I’m giving it 4/5 instead of 5/5:
-The ending felt rushed
-There were parts in it where her discovery of things needed a bit more fleshing out that lasted throughout the book consistently. Her discovering crystals and just going with it felt kind of odd. Another example being when they got it on suddenly she knew the f word and seemed very much to know how s€x worked and wasn’t afraid of “non traditional” methods of being intimate with one another, which is something you’d very much expect out of how Krilansk raised their female children.
World building 5/5
Character building 5/5 except for Magda…if there is another novel I definitely want more of her in it. And the forest sprites! I need more!!
Spice was
mynameislara's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really loved reading this book and wish I could experience it again for the first time. It was beautifully written, the plot was great and the main characters lovable.
Content Warnings
owl_eerie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Religious trauma and spooky woods and figuring yourself out, a little.
lovefromhannah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
i started reading this on a whim and i am so glad i did. sacrilege by t. n. vitus is a novel about finding yourself and not letting anyone damn you otherwise. i saw myself in this: emelie's and her mother's relationship, her curiosity suppressed by older generations too rigid in their beliefs to consider anything else, emelie's and halvar's relationship and how they love each other whilst healing from personal traumas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Religious bigotry, and Child abuse
Moderate: Torture, Body horror, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Blood, and Eating disorder