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bookishgoob's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A young girl is found at a crime scene with 3 dead bodies drained of blood, yet she is covered head to toe in blood that isn’t her own. Arrested, she says she will only give her confession to the sheriffs son, Michael. A short read from Kendare Blake about murder, betrayal, and the way society looks at young women.
I didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. The way they kept calling Marie “fast” made my stomach churn. I understand why they said everything they said about her, but it didn’t make it easier to read. Women are so often villainized before they are victimized and then made villains once more. Men don’t often understand that 15 year old girls are just that, girls. They aren’t fast or seductresses. They are children. Most of this book hurt my heart. A lot of the stuff that was said about Marie was so sickening. It was a sad story and many people say they recommend it for ages 13-15 but i really think it’s 15-17 ish. The dark themes of this book will not be able to be understood by a 13 year old.
Michael was kind of annoying and I also didn’t like that a lot of the story revolved around him instead of Marie. It’s a story about marie, but it’s ultimately a story about michael growing up i guess? Like a dark coming of age in a way? The ending felt too drawn out but also too rushed. It’s not what I expected, but it was enjoyable to an extent.
I didn’t hate this book, but i didn’t love it either. The way they kept calling Marie “fast” made my stomach churn. I understand why they said everything they said about her, but it didn’t make it easier to read. Women are so often villainized before they are victimized and then made villains once more. Men don’t often understand that 15 year old girls are just that, girls. They aren’t fast or seductresses. They are children. Most of this book hurt my heart. A lot of the stuff that was said about Marie was so sickening. It was a sad story and many people say they recommend it for ages 13-15 but i really think it’s 15-17 ish. The dark themes of this book will not be able to be understood by a 13 year old.
Michael was kind of annoying and I also didn’t like that a lot of the story revolved around him instead of Marie. It’s a story about marie, but it’s ultimately a story about michael growing up i guess? Like a dark coming of age in a way? The ending felt too drawn out but also too rushed. It’s not what I expected, but it was enjoyable to an extent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Self harm, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Body horror, Child death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Grief, Confinement, and Death of parent
monalyisha's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Not at all what I was expecting. This YA murder mystery, with a Criminal Minds meets SVU vibe, is more about the Horror(s) that people are capable of when they’ve been hurt than it is about jump scares or supernatural beings. Though it’s true that vampires have always been about power & sexual politics (which is why it was so thrilling that the first vampire featured on Buffy was female…but I digress).
A slow read with some style issues. I’ve never read Kendare Blake before…& I wasn’t bowled over. This felt pretty dry with a lot more telling than showing. I also wonder about the choice to only write from a male character’s POV when part of the problem *is* the male gaze. Does Blake’s authorial choice help to drive the point home? Or, is it a cop out to maintain the mystery?
I appreciated Marie’s insistence that *she* be the one to decide which parts of her story were important and which weren’t, & Blake’s overall focus on the dangers of womanhood (both as victim and perpetrator). Her message about the public’s limited imagination (when it comes to gender & other, equally fictitious topics) is a strong one.
A slow read with some style issues. I’ve never read Kendare Blake before…& I wasn’t bowled over. This felt pretty dry with a lot more telling than showing. I also wonder about the choice to only write from a male character’s POV when part of the problem *is* the male gaze. Does Blake’s authorial choice help to drive the point home? Or, is it a cop out to maintain the mystery?
I appreciated Marie’s insistence that *she* be the one to decide which parts of her story were important and which weren’t, & Blake’s overall focus on the dangers of womanhood (both as victim and perpetrator). Her message about the public’s limited imagination (when it comes to gender & other, equally fictitious topics) is a strong one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm, Murder, Violence, Blood, Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
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