Scan barcode
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was camp and fun! I loved it. Scary enough to be a quick, compelling read but not so disturbing that it interfered with my love for the characters. Hendrix's depiction of teenage isolation and anxiety was at times painful to read but delicately amplified the wider horror plot and tropes at work. The real demon is high school!!
Not going to articulate this very well but I think this book's willingness to tackle both the joy and terror of growing up in the eighties is its primary strength. There's a romance and excitement to the setting and time period but it avoids indulging a simplified, homogenised version of the American past that Myke Bartlett identifies in media like Stranger Things. Its exploration of class, racism, ableism and rape culture works to create an uneasiness at the heart of this horror story. Abby has to face down the devil whilst also battling prejudice and a lack of understanding from her peers and the adults in her life.
I don't have many criticisms, and those that I do have I think I can put down to the fact that this book is first and foremost oriented towards young adult readers and therefore written with a different demographic in mind. I did at times wonder if the story may have benefited from the complexity of exploring queerness (hence Abby's penultimate 'dearly and queerly!' confession) but I can appreciate the centring of platonic love and female friendship when recent nostalgic outings like Stranger Things and the IT movies seemed to, at least initially, explore male friendship. All that said, I really enjoyed this book. It made for a good break from long reads, and the pacing, prose and imagery were particularly fantastic.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Gore, Violence, Ableism, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Bullying, Sexual violence, Car accident, Classism, Alcohol, Self harm, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Vomit, Death of parent, and Gun violence
literarywreck'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
I think it's unfortunate that Hendrix didn't choose to make the main characters' relationship more explicitly queer.
The queerplatonic relationship between these two girls was reminiscent of every overly intense female friendship I had as a youngin before I figured out I was bisexual (and that so were said "friends"). Once you add in the tumultuous and vaguely codependent relationship dynamic, WASPy parental disapproval, and odd involvement of a buff youth pastor, it's nearly identical. Using literal demons as a metaphor for queerness has a long history in horror, and actually addressing that and intentionally interacting with that would've been a much more interesting use of these pages. I'm still bothered by the kind of cheesy
3.5 rounded down
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, and Classism
hunkydory'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Torture, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, Drug use, Racism, Classism, and Death of parent
mariespuna's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Gore, Self harm, Torture, Animal death, Vomit, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use and Medical content
uhm_kai's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Animal death, Death, Eating disorder, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
babydog420'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: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Self harm
ripxw'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: Body shaming, Self harm, Animal death, Bullying, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Rape, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Vomit
mcglamery_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Domestic abuse
kelldel'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: Gore, Cursing, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Self harm, and Vomit
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Car accident, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, and Homophobia
scarabsi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The stylization in this book is so thorough; if you ever saw the cover design and felt intrigued by its dedication to replicating the look of a retro VHS tape, you'll get exactly what you want and more. Be prepared for heightened emotions of terror and horror both, with some interesting carrots to keep you always wanting to know how it ends.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Gun violence