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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
I just finished @AronHorror's Playground. Definitely not for everyone, but the storytelling and character development are second to none from what I've read in the splatterpunk genre thus far. Beyond the grim story of an absolute monster of a woman wanting to test out her "playground" on a group of unsuspecting kids while their parents are forced to watch, it's a story about loss and redemption. Parts of this book almost made me cry.
The character Rock's arc is so bittersweet, despite all that happens in the book, I couldn't help but smile when I turned the final page.
Don't get me wrong, the book is all sorts of fucked up. Aron Beauregard has found ways I would never think of to contort childhood games and playthings. One thing was so absurd I couldn't help but laugh at the depravity.
If you have a weak stomach or CWs you normally avoid - this is probably not for you. Conversely, if you can handle the vileness within most splatterpunk or extreme horror novels, this one is a masterclass in the genre.
The character Rock's arc is so bittersweet, despite all that happens in the book, I couldn't help but smile when I turned the final page.
Don't get me wrong, the book is all sorts of fucked up. Aron Beauregard has found ways I would never think of to contort childhood games and playthings. One thing was so absurd I couldn't help but laugh at the depravity.
If you have a weak stomach or CWs you normally avoid - this is probably not for you. Conversely, if you can handle the vileness within most splatterpunk or extreme horror novels, this one is a masterclass in the genre.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oof. A wishy-washy 2.75 stars for me. I thought the gore was sickening, but there was absolutely no need for the S.A. It detracted from the story and ended up reading as misogynistic. I appreciated the attempts at character development, though I thought there could have been a deeper dive into Craig and his neurotic competitiveness. Poor Sadie.
The alliterations made me lol and if people stop reading it bc of that alone I have a few questions...
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-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
This was one of those “What the hell did I just read?” Books! Graphic, alot of TWs. Made me feel like I was watching a horror movie! Loved it!
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
From the way people, even many extreme horror & splatterpunk fans, talk about this book, I wasn't expecting it to be nearly as good as it was. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be meaningful. I was expecting mediocre to bad writing that would hopefully be made up for by some fun, albeit meaningless, gore & an entertaining plot. While I did indeed get some fun gore, it ended up being surprisingly emotionally cathartic, and I found it had more to say about child abuse & the effects of trauma than I was anticipating. There's more substance here than many people are willing to give it credit for. I appreciated that this book was able to have a villain with a strongly sexual motive without presenting the violence in a fetishistic way. That's a different balance to strike and I think it's done well here. The violence, both sexual and otherwise, is clearly written to be disturbing, not to appeal to Geraldine's twisted fantasies. And oh boy does it ever succeed at being disturbing. It takes a lot to make me need to put down a book due to disturbing content, but I actually did need to take a break after the first of the two rape scenes. I enjoy feeling disturbed, so this is a positive for me.
I do have a few issues, particularly with the writing. It's pretty well written by genre standards, but I did find some of the descriptions a bit corny, some of the word choice repetitive, and I agree with what many others have said about alliteration being overused. Not terrible writing, just not stand out quality unless you're writing in a genre that has a lot of very poor writing with copious typos, which I guess makes the prose in Playground pretty good. I also found some of the adult characters rather cartoonish, but honestly I think that kind of works in a way for a portrayal of child abuse. Do I actually want people who abuse their children to be portrayed with depth and nuance? Honestly no, most of the time I don't, and I certainly prefer this sort of portrayal over one that veers into apologism. That said, I do find Geraldine's motive for creating the playground a bit weak.
One thing I do want to clarify, since I've seen some misconceptions about this: while pedophilia is a theme here, none of the sexual violence in this book is against children. There are two rape scenes, and the victims are a 35 year old man and an elderly woman, both committed by an adult woman. Geraldine's age in the coprophilia scene is unspecified, although since the other flashbacks are in chronological order, it seems likely that she is at least late teens or older.
Overall, very disturbing book, not just in terms of the content, but also how the events are presented. While it could be improved, this book had a surprising amount of depth, which takes it up a quarter or half star.
I do have a few issues, particularly with the writing. It's pretty well written by genre standards, but I did find some of the descriptions a bit corny, some of the word choice repetitive, and I agree with what many others have said about alliteration being overused. Not terrible writing, just not stand out quality unless you're writing in a genre that has a lot of very poor writing with copious typos, which I guess makes the prose in Playground pretty good. I also found some of the adult characters rather cartoonish, but honestly I think that kind of works in a way for a portrayal of child abuse. Do I actually want people who abuse their children to be portrayed with depth and nuance? Honestly no, most of the time I don't, and I certainly prefer this sort of portrayal over one that veers into apologism. That said, I do find Geraldine's motive for creating the playground a bit weak.
One thing I do want to clarify, since I've seen some misconceptions about this: while pedophilia is a theme here, none of the sexual violence in this book is against children. There are two rape scenes, and the victims are a 35 year old man and an elderly woman, both committed by an adult woman. Geraldine's age in the coprophilia scene is unspecified, although since the other flashbacks are in chronological order, it seems likely that she is at least late teens or older.
Overall, very disturbing book, not just in terms of the content, but also how the events are presented. While it could be improved, this book had a surprising amount of depth, which takes it up a quarter or half star.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes