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scottsland_yard'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
SPOILER AHEAD!!
The ending really upset me and I don't think in the way the author intended. While it was very poetic and intense, creating a huge tension that just ramped up and up toward the last page, I feel like the ending didn't justify the means. While ostensibly a story about murder and passion and rage, it was also obviously a story about love and self discovery. I think having the main character be bi-sexual and technically in a relationship with both Meredith and James (in a way) was really smart story telling to showcase the difficulty he feels in trying to figure out who he is, not only as an actor, but as a lover. What I didn't appreciate (and it's not really Rio's fault so much as it's a tired and hurtful trope shares by many authors) is that the majority of stories that feature a gay couple require that they go through torturous and heart-wrenching levels of trauma in order to move the story along. As a gay man, reading the tension between Oliver and James over and over with little to now pay off didn't feel exciting, it felt like torture. I was being led along like a horse with a carrot, the promise of the possibility of Oliver and James professing their feelings for each other or ending up together, only to constantly be whipped with sex scenes with Meredith and violence with Richard. In the end, when you think Oliver might finally get yo be happy with James, we're slapped in the face with the blunt honesty of Phillipa letting us know that James killed himself after not being able to bare the weight of the guilt of killing Richard (in self defense, btw) and his lover taking the blame for it. So Oliver once again ends up with Meredith and I was left furious. And the last page does little to bandage those wounds.
I was left feeling empty, tense beyond belief, and with a heavy pit in my stomach. While the story was very good and the book was extremely well written, I am sick of this trope. I'm sick of gay characters being used as the martyrs in stories or being included only to drive the trauma train. (OH, also include the only canonically gay character overdosing and almost dying too)
I yearn for stories of gay couples/characters that include all the tense will-they-won't-they that straight romances have, but for once, I'd like them to actually end up together. I've learned this is not the book for that.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Hate crime, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Violence, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Drug use, Cursing, Bullying, Addiction, Medical content, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
aloola's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Blood, Drug use, Alcohol, Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
rubyslippers96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicide, Sexual content, and Eating disorder
sabinehunter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Cursing, Grief, and Toxic friendship
brennapatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Blood, Mental illness, Death, Grief, Murder, Suicide, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
lottieingham's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cursing, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Minor: Vomit and Eating disorder
geerbeer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Ik houd wel echt van de meta dingetjes, dat de hoofdstukken geschreven zijn als aktes e.d. en ook hoe Shakespear-drama het allemaal is. Super goede en mooie world building en de karakters ook allemaal voldoende uniek om goed te kunnen volgen 😊
Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Murder, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Cursing, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Infidelity, and Body horror
mollydorward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Gore
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcoholism, Addiction, Suicide, and Drug abuse
Minor: Cursing, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
skillyillian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
the plot felt a little predictable at times? but i was reading for the spooky dark academia vibes and not the most complicated murder mystery plot in the whole world. i've heard people say they didn't really love the ending or how open it was, but i liked it and thought it was pretty clear what happened.
anyway what a good spooky read. the vibes were immaculate, the mystery was fun, the characters felt like they had their own personalities and goals. the writing style was really unique, especially in that the dialogue between characters speaking back and forth didn't use dialogue tags but sometimes was just written like a script would be. my favorite line was probably "Me: [sneezes]" lmfao.
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, Cursing, Violence, Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
skelleybean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Drug use, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Violence