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sheriffrockyraccoon's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
SPOILERS AHEAD
I don’t even know where to start. Maybe the good stuff?
I loved Verona’s writing. She absolutely has a strong voice and creates a compelling world to write in. I loved how she described everyday suburbia and created unnerving visuals through the mundane. While I am so-so on putting lots of nostalgic references in books, it is still fun to read about a kid enjoying a Fruit Roll-up!
That being said, this book was frustrating. It was absolutely a mistake to make this story non-linear. It absolutely ruined the pacing and, in my opinion, made the twists and reveals obvious instead of exciting. Honestly, there were multiple points I was rooting for Amy to die just because I couldn’t stand her. Her character was very contradictory- she’s “shy and non-confrontational” according to her own narration and yet she takes every opportunity to cuss out her boyfriend and his brother. It makes her final scenes of actually doing something to stand up for herself and the kids become less poignant. Side note: it also drove me crazy that they didn’t get the hell out of that house when THE MAN WITH A RESTRAINING ORDER SHOWED UP? Maybe this is playing into how slashers always have dumb characters but honestly, it was ridiculous.
I should also add that Verona repeatedly goes over the same irrelevant information every 4 chapters. In case you forgot who Amy’s cousins were or that Amy has panic attacks. It almost felt like no one had read the novel before it was published or were trying to keep it at a certain word count. It was odd.
I will end on another good note I remembered about this book: Ben is absolutely adorable and I wish he had narrated the entire story. If this was a slasher story told from a child’s POV, it would have been much more interesting.
I don’t even know where to start. Maybe the good stuff?
I loved Verona’s writing. She absolutely has a strong voice and creates a compelling world to write in. I loved how she described everyday suburbia and created unnerving visuals through the mundane. While I am so-so on putting lots of nostalgic references in books, it is still fun to read about a kid enjoying a Fruit Roll-up!
That being said, this book was frustrating. It was absolutely a mistake to make this story non-linear. It absolutely ruined the pacing and, in my opinion, made the twists and reveals obvious instead of exciting. Honestly, there were multiple points I was rooting for Amy to die just because I couldn’t stand her. Her character was very contradictory- she’s “shy and non-confrontational” according to her own narration and yet she takes every opportunity to cuss out her boyfriend and his brother. It makes her final scenes of actually doing something to stand up for herself and the kids become less poignant. Side note: it also drove me crazy that they didn’t get the hell out of that house when THE MAN WITH A RESTRAINING ORDER SHOWED UP? Maybe this is playing into how slashers always have dumb characters but honestly, it was ridiculous.
I should also add that Verona repeatedly goes over the same irrelevant information every 4 chapters. In case you forgot who Amy’s cousins were or that Amy has panic attacks. It almost felt like no one had read the novel before it was published or were trying to keep it at a certain word count. It was odd.
I will end on another good note I remembered about this book: Ben is absolutely adorable and I wish he had narrated the entire story. If this was a slasher story told from a child’s POV, it would have been much more interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Stalking
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Cursing, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia
michelle_mightbereading's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood and Violence
buckythecryptid's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
paperxfaerie's review
4.0
I loved the set-up of this book, and all the 90's nostalgia was so on point for me. There's nothing I can imagine little me in the 90's enjoying more than a scary story featuring a babysitter. I also loved the meta aspects of the horror genre in general, and the characters in this book who use horror as a way to self-soothe or manage anxiety. I also enjoyed the emotional aspects of Amy feeling such a heavy responsibility to take care of the children, without acknowledging that she's a child too, which we see reflected in Mira's character as well. The concepts and settings in this book resonated with me on so many levels.
My only complaint is the plot itself, its format and pacing. The chapters switch back and forth in timeline, and not just from "tonight" to "six years ago", to give us backstory about the characters, but also back and forth within the same night. So one chapter will be 10pm, the next will be 8pm. Many of them were repeats of the same events but from a different character's point of view. I found this format to take me out of the story, and I often caught myself thinking "ugh we're backwards in time again, can we just get back to the action?". I was so impatient for the plot to pick up, and it really didn't until almost the very end of the book, and even that was a little bit anti-climactic for me. So, I think the balance between build-up and pay-off was a little off for me, but I still enjoyed the book and the things it explored in the genre, setting, and themes.
My only complaint is the plot itself, its format and pacing. The chapters switch back and forth in timeline, and not just from "tonight" to "six years ago", to give us backstory about the characters, but also back and forth within the same night. So one chapter will be 10pm, the next will be 8pm. Many of them were repeats of the same events but from a different character's point of view. I found this format to take me out of the story, and I often caught myself thinking "ugh we're backwards in time again, can we just get back to the action?". I was so impatient for the plot to pick up, and it really didn't until almost the very end of the book, and even that was a little bit anti-climactic for me. So, I think the balance between build-up and pay-off was a little off for me, but I still enjoyed the book and the things it explored in the genre, setting, and themes.
scknitter's review
3.0
The first chapter really hooked me but instead of continuing as a suspensefull thriller I felt like it turned into a young adult book full of teenage angst and anxiety. I even checked to see if it was listed as YA. I really, really got tired of hearing about all of Amy's anxiety attacks and of her poor self esteem.
carabee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
justjussy__'s review against another edition
It’s written like it’s by a high school student who didn’t hit the required number of pages and just kept adding unnecessary phrases and words to make it seem longer.
mary_magdalyn's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
garleighc's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25