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narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Body horror, Drug use, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gore, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
chainsawheartbooks's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Child death, Kidnapping, Animal death, Death of parent, Addiction, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Pedophilia
mmccombs's review against another edition
3.0
Last year I went to a book event for Reaper, and SGJ described his writing process of just letting the story unfold from his brain without any kind of plan (even in determining who the slasher is) going into it. I’d say for the first book (and his Only Good Indians) this is a process that works and makes for very compelling horror, but in this book it felt noticeable in a bad way. Meandering, convoluted, unfocused, there were too many characters, too many “big bads,” too many things happening, and not enough clarity to make sense of any of it.
While SGJ can create vivid (and I mean VIVID) descriptions of gore and bodies and actions, his work tends to struggle with establishing a firm sense of place or time. Throughout this entire series but especially this installment, I was never quite clear about where these things were happening, if it was night or day, or what Proofrock even really looks like (where is the lake? Where is the dam? Where is the town? Where are the characters in relation to these places?). Without this kind of grounding, I never quite felt stable enough to understand who was in a given scene or what was happening.
The “Baker Investigations” parts only added more confusion to a story that was already confusing. I did like that this was from Jade’s POV, but her inner ramblings often got too long and lost the plot’s momentum. I think this could have been a 250 page book and still retained Jade’s singular voice while staying a bit clearer on the action. There are some really fun and moving portions of this book, but I felt like they got lost in the sheer volume of Jade’s thoughts (which was the point, I guess, but it didn’t make it any more enjoyable).
Ultimately, I’m glad I finished out Jade’s story, and she will remain one of the most impactful characters I’ve ever read. While I wish I resonated with this final installment a bit more, she will forever remain my final girl.
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Gore, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, and Kidnapping
ramreads5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Gore, Grief, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, and Physical abuse
jocelyn62013'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
4.0
I think by book 3 you know how you feel about this story even if you don't have words for it.
I was highly confused often, but still found myself rooting for Jade and Letha. I honestly find myself wanting to reread the whole trilogy because my slasher/ horror knowledge is not deep enough to catch every nuance thrown at us for clarification. Jade's journey will not be for everyone. If you want clear cut answers and a reliable narrator, that's not this type of horror novel (rabbit trails abound here). However, this book is clearly the end of the trilogy and it feels right.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Abandonment, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Addiction
Minor: Medical content and Suicide attempt
hydecircus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Suicide attempt, Violence, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Incest, and Car accident