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curatoriallyyours's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While the writing was, at times, quite good, the character development was a bit choppy - the character Alison seemed like two totally different people at different times in the book. Multiple characters were secretly horrible and pretty unlikeable and there was a bit of gore, which wasn’t super icky but I could have done without it. The story also felt a little disjointed to me. I was compelled enough to keep reading the book to find out what lay beneath the facade of the characters (and to finish it in one day) but ultimately this book is pretty forgettable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Medical content, and Child death
Minor: Dementia and Death of parent
liesthemoontells's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Beautifully written, disturbing portrait of a dark, fractured family full of secrets.
The glimpses of humanity given to each character despite their awfulness is a testament to the author's talent, as is the way that the tangle of secrets slowly unravels throughout the narrative.
The prose dragged a little at times, and the book is relentlessly bleak - I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not - but it's a short read if you are looking for something dark and punchy.
The glimpses of humanity given to each character despite their awfulness is a testament to the author's talent, as is the way that the tangle of secrets slowly unravels throughout the narrative.
The prose dragged a little at times, and the book is relentlessly bleak - I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not - but it's a short read if you are looking for something dark and punchy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Stalking, Vomit, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Terminal illness, Torture, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Dysphoria, Abortion, and Toxic friendship
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