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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This book gets 2 stars for having a fine plot and some pretty good monsters. It’s fine body horror. There are elements I like and I was looking forward to getting to this book on my TBR which is why it’s hard to say that this book is just… not good. Even though we’re definitely on the same page politically, I’m offput by how Snyder lectures her audience in the middle of scenes. I felt like I was being babied through understanding this book. This was written for someone who doesn’t like reading, doesnt like thinking critically and drawing their own conclusions about characters, and has to have their hand held through scenes that might be morally grey (Minor spoiler A Black character’s ghost(?) lectures a white main character about racism WHILE THE WHITE MAIN CHARACTER IS MURDERING HER, just so the white main character can tell the audience that she’s not doing it for racist reasons…? Like please just let the readers take what they will from that scene and if it’s SO important, show that the character isn’t racially motivated ELSEWHERE. the flow of that scene was horrible. ) I’m not a writer, I’m sure writing is hard, but I am just so disappointed by this book that has an alright concept, is in a genre I ADORE (yayyy erotic horror!!) but manages to so thoroughly drop the ball.
It was definitely a “need to finish” situation, but I don’t know that I’m satisfied. Not that every story has to tie up every loose end… just… a lot of novel explains the science about the infection. So I guess that we don’t get an explanation on who or why or where they came from on wtf is ACTUALLY happening is a let down. I get it but also… it feels very much like we’re getting set up for a sequel, and I don’t think I’m invested enough in the story to continue with a sequel.
Delivered on the horror. Like 100%. Uncomfortable and nausea inducing. But I don’t tip my toe into cosmic horror often so that could just be me.
Delivered on the horror. Like 100%. Uncomfortable and nausea inducing. But I don’t tip my toe into cosmic horror often so that could just be me.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Woah this book was not what I expected. I really liked it tho. I thought the concept was super interesting and I found it super easy to read. I’m barely noticed how quickly I actually read it.
It was easy enough to follow and it was just an all around really good book. I liked all of the main characters, they all felt super thought out for how short the book was and how much it focused on the other stuff happening
It was easy enough to follow and it was just an all around really good book. I liked all of the main characters, they all felt super thought out for how short the book was and how much it focused on the other stuff happening
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Sister, Maiden, Monster" by Lucy A. Snyder follows along three women as they travel down different paths that ultimately converge on the road to the apocalypse. Disgusting, sickening, and vomit-inducing... in all the best ways. There is one scene in particular that gives a whole new meaning to eating out another woman.
While I ultimately rated this book four stars, there are a couple of critiques.
One of the main characters mentions a victim of Jeffrey Dahmer by name and I think that was unnecessary considering that most victims' families have gone on record that this opens old wounds. The same horrifying impact could've been made without the reference. We have a responsibility to remember that victims were real-life people and should be handled with care. This moment occurs after a White Woman serial killer murders a Black Woman. Considering that neither I nor the author are People of Color, it's my responsibility to highlight this instance. This is not my place to comment.
However, considering my trans identity, there is an entirely different portrayal that I'm more than qualified to comment on. Gregory is a character that struggles with gender dysphoria throughout the text. We have an almost-coming-out moment that Gregory backs out of last minute; so, because of that, we never discover Gregory's gender identity and preferred pronouns. Considering the inherently sapphic nature of this book and the emphasis on transformations, I consider this a missed opportunity.
The ending also felt like Deus Ex Machina. I have no problems with ambiguous endings, so I don't particularly mind where it left off despite wanting more. However, the text holds precisely one reference to the Deus Ex Machina that I can find whereas references towards the origins of the apocalypse occurred multiple times and were more well-thought out.
Despite my gripes, this book was gross fun.
"Sister, Maiden, Monster" by Lucy A. Snyder follows along three women as they travel down different paths that ultimately converge on the road to the apocalypse. Disgusting, sickening, and vomit-inducing... in all the best ways. There is one scene in particular that gives a whole new meaning to eating out another woman.
Spoiler
For fans of "The Magnus Archives," if you wanted to see all of the Entities band together and destroy the world, then you should pick up this book. Similarly, if you're fans of biblically accurate angels, Eldritch monsters, and zombie apocalypses with running commentary on women's issues and reproductive rights, then definitely pick this up. Be warned that this heavily mentions the COVID-19 pandemic so, if you're not prepared for references to quarantine, I'd advise n o t picking this up.While I ultimately rated this book four stars, there are a couple of critiques.
One of the main characters mentions a victim of Jeffrey Dahmer by name and I think that was unnecessary considering that most victims' families have gone on record that this opens old wounds. The same horrifying impact could've been made without the reference. We have a responsibility to remember that victims were real-life people and should be handled with care. This moment occurs after a White Woman serial killer murders a Black Woman. Considering that neither I nor the author are People of Color, it's my responsibility to highlight this instance. This is not my place to comment.
However, considering my trans identity, there is an entirely different portrayal that I'm more than qualified to comment on. Gregory is a character that struggles with gender dysphoria throughout the text. We have an almost-coming-out moment that Gregory backs out of last minute; so, because of that, we never discover Gregory's gender identity and preferred pronouns. Considering the inherently sapphic nature of this book and the emphasis on transformations, I consider this a missed opportunity.
The ending also felt like Deus Ex Machina. I have no problems with ambiguous endings, so I don't particularly mind where it left off despite wanting more. However, the text holds precisely one reference to the Deus Ex Machina that I can find whereas references towards the origins of the apocalypse occurred multiple times and were more well-thought out.
Despite my gripes, this book was gross fun.
Wow! This book has everything: empathic characters, pandemic, apocalypse, feminism, body horror, sapphic spice, interlocking stories between the sections, cosmic horror. I wanted to re-read it immediately after finishing it to go back and see what more I could take from this piece of art