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aristarcodisamo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Dementia, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Gaslighting, Violence, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gore, and Fire/Fire injury
teganbeesebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Dementia, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Violence
aserra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Additionally, I called the plot twist and predicted another one of the book's major events within the first 18 pages. Regardless, the story was incredibly effective for me, which testifies to the strength of Jackson's craft.
If I had to ask anything more of this book, I would ask for a prequel book focused on the Blackwoods (infeasible, as this was Jackson's last novel), and I think Charles could've been a few degrees creepier with incredible results. I want to describe Charles as unequivocally sinister but, instead, I feel he's more plaintive, entitled, and irritating. I can understand why he wasn't taken to that level, though, and think this is an indication of preference rather than quality of the book.
For a quick, tense, gothic read, consider picking up We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Violence, Murder, and Classism
omair's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
And yet in such a short space, powerful themes of gender roles, sexual identity, family trauma, possibly abuse, and severe mental illnesses are liberally sprinkled in along with commentary on individuality, agoraphobia, societal norms, greed, maturity (and familial responsibility in raising a child), and so much more. So much of what happens is left with such vague motives that the answers feel simultaneously obvious and yet impossibly absent.
The deeper I found myself into the book,
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Violence, Acephobia/Arophobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Ableism, Abandonment, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, and Child death
chananya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Stalking, Violence, Self harm, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
jomjom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Violence, Mental illness, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Incest
crystal689's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Murder
morenowagain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Mental illness, Hate crime, Confinement, and Violence
jo_lzr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, and Bullying