Scan barcode
softasapanda's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The kitten scene was unnecessarily gruesome, but maybe I was just sensitive because my own kittens were sitting next to me during it.
My first audio book, because I'd caught up to all my podcasts and needed something to listen to while doing the dishes. It felt extremely slow with not much actually happening, and then the big event wasn't really resolved satisfactorily. I noticed there's a sequel but don't care enough to find out what happens next. If I'd been reading the physical book I probably wouldn't have finished it.
Also, why was nobody bothered about a 20 year old lurking around a school and then dating a 16 year old student??
My first audio book, because I'd caught up to all my podcasts and needed something to listen to while doing the dishes. It felt extremely slow with not much actually happening, and then the big event wasn't really resolved satisfactorily. I noticed there's a sequel but don't care enough to find out what happens next. If I'd been reading the physical book I probably wouldn't have finished it.
Also, why was nobody bothered about a 20 year old lurking around a school and then dating a 16 year old student??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Death, and Toxic relationship
celine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this book is so weird omg
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Animal cruelty, Child death, Animal death, Body horror, and Child abuse
Moderate: Cannibalism, Death, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
goldenslug's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Cannibalism, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
champagnepr0blem's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
For me this was an okay book. While the writing was often clunky and confusing, once you were in a flow it was easy to get through. The characters were often one dimensional and hard to empathise with. The third half seemed rushed in order to make the ending some semblance of neat. All this being said, I finished it. I wanted to see where this went. With more exploration of certain plot points this could be a five-star book, which is exactly why I feel so disappointed. At times I was more excited about reading reviews than the book because I wanted to know I wasn't alone in this disappointment.
Now here are my real issues with the book.
1) It was obvious from the meeting Lon that he was going to be the 'killer' his coercive control over Catilin was shown in clunky 'everyone-can-see-it-but-you' way. While it's true that people experiencing this sort of control are less likely to see this than outsiders, there were a lot of reg flags both of the twins ignored until it was too late, despite his behaviour never changing. It'd be more true to life if he his behaviour developed slower, to explain Maddie's lack of concern at the beginning.
2) I understand that the teachers are supposedly 'here for a season' characters, however it is implied that the head teacher is more of a permanent fixture. So why are they not concerned about Lon hanging round the school? Why are the adults not concerned about him hosting 'youth club' lock ins? Where is the adult supervision in this town of predators?
3) For a woman that is a lady of leisure, and loves her children, the twin's mum doesn't have a clue what's happening in their lives. Either the family was groomed/hypnotised by Brian to give Lon his latest feed without endangering the lives of those already in the village (could have been explored) or she really just doesn't care about her children. Ones been groomed by a serial killer who's age is unknown, the other by an old witch who wants to pass down magic. Neither of which she has any idea about until its too late for both of them.
4) The casual homophobia from Catlin about Oona, there was no need other than to make Maddie coming out harder, however when she did come out all was fine and forgotten. Along with the relationship with Oona.
5) Casual animal sacrifice is never cool. When you bring in a kitten just to sacrifice it 10 pages later that feels really cruel.
6) Final, the pace made no sense. The first 3/4 seemed so slow like nothing happened at all, then there was 5% where the entire story happened before going back to nothing happening at all.
Overall, you can probably find something you like about this book it's mostly, inoffensive apart from those offensive bits.
Now here are my real issues with the book.
2) I understand that the teachers are supposedly 'here for a season' characters, however it is implied that the head teacher is more of a permanent fixture. So why are they not concerned about Lon hanging round the school? Why are the adults not concerned about him hosting 'youth club' lock ins? Where is the adult supervision in this town of predators?
3) For a woman that is a lady of leisure, and loves her children, the twin's mum doesn't have a clue what's happening in their lives. Either the family was groomed/hypnotised by Brian to give Lon his latest feed without endangering the lives of those already in the village (could have been explored) or she really just doesn't care about her children. Ones been groomed by a serial killer who's age is unknown, the other by an old witch who wants to pass down magic. Neither of which she has any idea about until its too late for both of them.
4) The casual homophobia from Catlin about Oona, there was no need other than to make Maddie coming out harder, however when she did come out all was fine and forgotten. Along with the relationship with Oona.
5) Casual animal sacrifice is never cool. When you bring in a kitten just to sacrifice it 10 pages later that feels really cruel.
6) Final, the pace made no sense. The first 3/4 seemed so slow like nothing happened at all, then there was 5% where the entire story happened before going back to nothing happening at all.
Overall, you can probably find something you like about this book it's mostly, inoffensive apart from those offensive bits.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia
grexcarolinii's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
Gosh this book was... not what I was expecting at all, and I can't say I loved that about it.
I was expecting a fun witchy read about a pair of sisters on different life paths - with one discovering love and the other discovering magic.
What this is is... an incredibly uncomfortable read watching a young teenage girl fall into an obviously toxic and abusive relationship. And though this felt very much like the point, it was a hard one to read. And it made it super hard to empathise with the characters when all I wanted to do was scream and slap on of the sisters into awareness.
The other problems I have... spoilers below
Be warned: I get very ranty, and there are some TW for the content of what happens in this book
So: firstly the scene where Maddy takes the family kitten, and is set on sacrificing him to apparently save her sister, despite not knowing how to do this fully, nor how it would even save her sister. Just that she was aware that there was something supposedly magical in doing so. Luckily she is stopped before fully killing the thing, but not before she stabs this poor kitten in the eye.... and I fully noped out. That level of animal cruelty and violence, just so disgusting and unnecessary. It didn't add anything but made Maddy out to be an irredeemable character in my eyes.
The second more plot based problem.
Lon is obviously bad news and a villain. And up to a point, this is supposed to be uncomfortable, so that you know this type of relationship between an older man and a CHILD is not OK.
But here's the thing. Everyone in the village knows this is bad news, and knows something is up. That this isn't just a super gross and abusive relationship, but actually even more sinister. They make some comments and do about jack-shit.
Then it's heavily implied Lon had something to do with one of the more recent murders. But "they couldn't prove anything". God this made made me loathe Catlin - even she says that. "They couldn't prove anything". Fuck. She doesn't even say "he didn't do it" just that they couldn't prove he did? That's so so so god damn obviously a confession of guilt. But despite the whole town kinda knowing he murdered a girl, just wasn't caught for it... they again do jack-shit to stop.
In the final pieces of the book, we find out Lon isn't entirely human. Is far far older than he appears. Things I had guessed. But adding to this - he is not only responsible for the deaths of the other girls. But is actually responsible for killing and EATING 101 girls. One HUNDRED and One. And it's heavily implied that people very much knew of some of these murders being him. And noone did anything? Everyone watched this cannibalistic murderer who has been preying on young young girls, presumeably for years, and has a body count that is probably larger than the population of the village itself. And noone did anything? Fuck me
I was expecting a fun witchy read about a pair of sisters on different life paths - with one discovering love and the other discovering magic.
What this is is... an incredibly uncomfortable read watching a young teenage girl fall into an obviously toxic and abusive relationship. And though this felt very much like the point, it was a hard one to read. And it made it super hard to empathise with the characters when all I wanted to do was scream and slap on of the sisters into awareness.
The other problems I have... spoilers below
Be warned: I get very ranty, and there are some TW for the content of what happens in this book
The second more plot based problem.
Lon is obviously bad news and a villain. And up to a point, this is supposed to be uncomfortable, so that you know this type of relationship between an older man and a CHILD is not OK.
But here's the thing. Everyone in the village knows this is bad news, and knows something is up. That this isn't just a super gross and abusive relationship, but actually even more sinister. They make some comments and do about jack-shit.
Then it's heavily implied Lon had something to do with one of the more recent murders. But "they couldn't prove anything". God this made made me loathe Catlin - even she says that. "They couldn't prove anything". Fuck. She doesn't even say "he didn't do it" just that they couldn't prove he did? That's so so so god damn obviously a confession of guilt. But despite the whole town kinda knowing he murdered a girl, just wasn't caught for it... they again do jack-shit to stop.
In the final pieces of the book, we find out Lon isn't entirely human. Is far far older than he appears. Things I had guessed. But adding to this - he is not only responsible for the deaths of the other girls. But is actually responsible for killing and EATING 101 girls. One HUNDRED and One. And it's heavily implied that people very much knew of some of these murders being him. And noone did anything? Everyone watched this cannibalistic murderer who has been preying on young young girls, presumeably for years, and has a body count that is probably larger than the population of the village itself. And noone did anything? Fuck me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Torture, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting, Body horror, Cannibalism, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia
booksmoviesandstories's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Kidnapping, and Violence
madeleinebay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Murder
hickorynut's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was beautifully written and managed to capture my attention. The storyline itself was set up throughout the whole book so you had a general idea of what was likely going to happen. I somewhat expected there to be a twist that I didn't see coming but it ended up being fairly predictable. That said, it was still an intriguing read and the author's writing style was unique and beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
TW for animal sacrificesmollyv's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
2.0
I would have given the initial premise of the book a much higher rating, however the ending destroyed any enjoyment I had out of the book. Firstly, the mystery is extremely obvious as to who it is, to the point where I was waiting for a plot twist that never came.
Secondly, the ending was disgustingly graphic for no reason, I did not need to read what happened to her sister in such detail. Furthermore, every character is exactly as perceived from the time they are first introduced - if you are expecting development, hidden depths or anything, read a different book. The "grandma" like figure is horrible throughout and is horrible at the end too, the creepy older man, whilst creepier in a whole other way than expected, was still creepy and the mum was absolutely useless
I would like to forget I ever read this book.
I would like to forget I ever read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Torture, Murder, Stalking, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Death, Animal cruelty, Gore, and Adult/minor relationship
kaleidoscope_heart's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Murder, Death, and Toxic relationship