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schohayes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
emily_journals's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ok, now for some spoiler specific review comments to explain the above points:
2.) The mom issue was never resolved. Immanuelle's mom supposedly was consorting with these three witch spirits to curse the entire town (not just the people who caused all of her pain). Immanuelle goes through all of these steps and discoveries that her mom essentially used her as a conduit to bring the curse to the town (which is also why only Immanuelle can stop it), and that her mom left Immanuelle to just become only this thing to carry the curse. However, when Immanuelle goes and finds her grandma (dad's mom) who left Bethel, she says that Immanuelle's mom was so over protective of Immanuelle even before she was born, and how excited she was to have her baby and how she would never reduce Immanuelle to essentially an object to carry out the curse. But this thread is never resolved. It just is left dangling, and the only resolution we get is that Immanuelle's mom really did just use Immanuelle to deliver this curse? Which again, reduces the point this book is making by having this woman who is betrayed and hurt by all the men in power in Bethel reduce her own child to an object (which is what this book seems to be trying to protest, the objectification of women and how the men of Bethel think that they can do whatever they want with these women).
3.) There is kind of a "white savior" ending. Not fully, but there are little bits and pieces of it with the love interest (white boy) saving Immanuelle multiple times at the end, so that she can then save the town. I don't think it's a full white savior, but the fact that he needed to save Immanuelle at all was a little irksome, as it is proven throughout the whole book that Immanuelle is very capable on her own, so I thought it was a little frustrating that the author did this when we, the audience, know it's not needed.
Graphic: Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Animal death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
coleyglasses's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Homophobia, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Confinement
bookswithjk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Blood
k8mc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Domestic abuse and Torture
horizonous's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual violence
◦ Death = incl. child, grandparent, parent and maternal◦ Medical content = Child birth
◦ Sexual violence = Statutory rape
sunsetcity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
okays1331's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This cult-like town feels terribly real. I could see and feel every detail. The men in power have absolute control over right and wrong, and women have no voice or protection except as an extension of the power of the men. They follow a rigid faith with their Prophet wielding ultimate authority. Sins as determined by the church are immediately met with violence from a slap to exile to burning alive. Everyone is kept in line not just from the fear and devotion to the Prophet and his Apostles but also from fear of the witches and the sin that await them in the woods.
I don't read a lot of horror, but I am fairly certain fans of the genre will get everything they want from this book. The human horrors of poverty, cruelty, and helplessness to the curses of blood, madness, darkness, and slaughter. Emanuel is such a compelling protagonist because in the midst of it all, she is not purely on the side of virtue or sin. She believes in her faith, but she also carries a strong sense of right and wrong and when the church crosses the line, she knows she must act. Her bravery is not automatic and grows naturally instead from her strong convictions.
Lots of TW: abuse, gore, rape, pedophilia, cult, body horror, confinement, indoctrination
Slight spoilers:
The most interesting part about the way this story was written was that the right side was not immediately apparent. Clearly the church abused its power to a huge degree, but the witches in the woods are not on the side of right. We see the author set up a choice between the two evils
Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Pedophilia
powkaye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
princess_azula's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, and Violence