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daydaybookbay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I do not recommend this book if you are triggered at all by: abuse. child abduction, drug abuse, gore, gun violence, murder, parent death, pedophilia, rape, sexual assult, suicide, torture.
Please be aware that all of these topics and more are focused on at one point or another in this novel.
The characters are well developed and rounded. As a reader, you become invested in both the main characters as well as other characters (the father Sam, and Julia). I felt the pacing was steady and gave the perfect amount of time for buildup and resolution. Slaughter's storytelling is amazing.
Back to this trigger warnings bit. At some point, is this graphic torture for shock value? Kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder of teenagers... I almost stopped reading it. I can see it happening as I'm reading, so to have someone described as being raped by a machete... or the urine waterboarding. nope. Not my thing. Just the ongoing shock-value events in the second half are what knocked the rating down a bit.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Stalking, Car accident, and Classism
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
amandareads666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sasoif's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Suicide, and Death of parent
mirrorchaser'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
4.0
I will warn readers that this is about as close to splatterpunk as a mainstream thriller can go before it tips genres. I would not read this book if you have pretty much any triggers at all. This book is disturbing and really stays with you. It makes you distrustful. Consider your mental health first when you decide to read this.
I would go further into detail, but other reviews have already done a great job summarizing!
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Car accident, and Gaslighting
sjades'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
sarah_amy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
cjones12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Abandonment
lgmcclure's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Torture, Kidnapping, and Murder