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aromarrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
if there was a top three category of books i cherish with my whole life, this one is definitely it.
i loved nick & sam’s pov’s so much the first time and fell back in love with it again in this reread. and that bittersweet feeling pervaded throughout the whole story as always!! especially in all of sam’s terror disguised with wise cracks + nick’s awe of the mountains that veered into possessive territory.
absolutely wicked atmosphere, with so much striking detail, it made the horror hit harder (that and the love story that tangled in between). the vivid details would be a hit or miss for some, all of its long monologues and such, but i adored it.
i’ve always loved horror legends and sam’s childhood fascination with it made the events that unfolded feel even more surreal.
this story has stuck with me since 2021, and the numb feeling i felt at the ending was as strong as ever in 2024 and i feel relieved. because it confirmed how much nick & sam’s story has still stuck with me, that i could relive that first moment of grief with them :’)
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
mformato's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I tried. I really did. I finally got to the point in the book where things we supposed to be ramping up but seeing how much more I had left I just don't care.
The good:
-The prologue was gripping and that is what kept me holding on for so long because I wanted to get to that point in the story where it actually happens.
-There was clear differences in the writing between the POV which made both characters feel unique.
-Clearly the author is passionate about mountaineering.
-There are interesting elements to the story.
But despite all of that, I find the main character annoying and it just has taken too long for anything to happen. So many chapters could have been cut and it wouldn't have affected (what I have read of) the story. The prologue was the best part so far because it gave us an eerie feeling, a mystery, and action right away. Even the mysteriousness of the first few chapters weren't that bad. But then it just drags. It's possible the rest isn't so bad but I am nearly 300 pages in and I am dreading reading this. I can only make a few pages at a time cause I just don't care.
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Blood, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Medical trauma, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, and Violence
torismazarine'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
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
sugarbucky's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Medical content, Animal death, Violence, and Death
shadowspinner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Car accident
zazreads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you liked Our Wives Under the Sea, I suggest giving this one a shot.
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Mental illness, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death, and Murder
katiemack'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is deeply horrifying, but I didn't expect it to be so wry and...romantic? It's horror first and foremost, but there's some tenderness within Nick and Sam's relationship that I didn't expect.
As much as Sam frustrated me, I quite enjoyed him and his relatable defense mechanism (i.e., using humor as deflection). I wish we had spent more time with his sister, Julia, especially after that traumatizing start to the book, but it was still an epic, supernatural, car-crash of a journey as Nick, Sam, and another character or two try to piece together exactly what the hell happened to Nick's face after his perilous journey up the Maudit. (If you know any French, this should tell you exactly what kind of mountain the Maudit is.)
Do you like alpinism, Stephen King, Dutch novels, or all of the above? Pick this up.
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Suicide, Murder, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content
lottevanderpaelt'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
5.0
Moderate: Self harm, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide
Minor: Child death