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dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
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
This is a difficult one for me to review because I feel like this is a good book but not necessarily my thing.
Bovalino does some great things here: Leah is a very believable heroine, the social commentary of the book is interesting and the eerie and melancholic tones through the book make for a dreamlike folktale quality.
However, for me this book just took a looooong time to get going and as much as I enjoyed the tone of the book the worldbuilding was somewhat lack lustre and at times confusing. I was left very much wanting more from the romance in this book but I have been reading a lot of romantasy lately which could've influenced my expectations. Lastly I would like to point out this book is definitely not giving labyrinth vibes beyond the initial childnapping!
Overall a good spooky autumn read but it wouldn't be my go to on recommendations
Bovalino does some great things here: Leah is a very believable heroine, the social commentary of the book is interesting and the eerie and melancholic tones through the book make for a dreamlike folktale quality.
However, for me this book just took a looooong time to get going and as much as I enjoyed the tone of the book the worldbuilding was somewhat lack lustre and at times confusing. I was left very much wanting more from the romance in this book but I have been reading a lot of romantasy lately which could've influenced my expectations. Lastly I would like to point out this book is definitely not giving labyrinth vibes beyond the initial childnapping!
Overall a good spooky autumn read but it wouldn't be my go to on recommendations
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I understand why this book is called a horror, it covers a lot of dark topics, but I wish it had leaned more into the creepy parts. I don't think I can fault it, because it's YA and I usually read adult, but the middle section of the book feels a lot more like a cute YA fantasy than a folk horror. The writing was enjoyable and I liked the characters. The romance was sweet and served the themes really well. The plot gets a little lost sometimes, there's very little suspense, and everything was predictable. Focusing a little more on the bargain plot line or the murder mystery plot line could've helped with the saggy middle.
Where this book truly shines is the themes. I think the themes this book discusses are so important and the commentary is really well done. This is a great representation of the impact that purity culture, religious trauma, and sexism can have on young women.
Spoilers below!
The plot twist at the end brought me to tears. I appreciate the raw representation of teenage pregnancy and forced birth. This book isn't shy about the point it makes. The body horror, the way teen girls disproportionately take blame over teen boys, the severity of the impact on the mother's mental health, the way society seeks to punish and shame when we should be offering support. This book made me angry and disgusted and I think everyone should read it.
Where this book truly shines is the themes. I think the themes this book discusses are so important and the commentary is really well done. This is a great representation of the impact that purity culture, religious trauma, and sexism can have on young women.
Spoilers below!
The plot twist at the end brought me to tears. I appreciate the raw representation of teenage pregnancy and forced birth. This book isn't shy about the point it makes. The body horror, the way teen girls disproportionately take blame over teen boys, the severity of the impact on the mother's mental health, the way society seeks to punish and shame when we should be offering support. This book made me angry and disgusted and I think everyone should read it.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes