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jdsquared's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
With haunting descriptions of curses and characters, the story was brought to life. A story of virtue and vengeanc, darkness and light, this gripping tale kept me reading so that I finished it in only a handful of days
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Sexual assault
sadgirlsidney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"To be a woman is to be a sacrifice"
I loved this book. I always judge a book based on how I ravenously I consume it and I consumed this like a woman starved. The characters and story were painted so beautifully. Everytime I put it down I was anxious to pick it up and see what was going to happen next. I cannot wait to see what this author does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
chichio's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ARGH! This was so good.
The writing in this book was unbelievable—so atmospheric and full of details without being unnecessarily convoluted. I could quite literally see all of the imagery in my mind’s eye, and there were very clear moments where I was able to watch characters move throughout the space as though I were watching a movie. On the topic of imagery, the horrific elements of this book were so creative and grotesque. I loved every single second of it.
Also, obsessed with our protagonist Immanuelle! Loved her so much. The author did an amazing job writing this character, to the point where even when she made decisions that I didn’t agree with, I still felt as though they were justifiable because of the kind of person she’d been crafted by the author to be.
The only reason why this isn’t getting the whole 5 stars from me is the pacing, namely near the very end of the book. Understandably, action scenes are meant to be shorter in order to depict tension and high stakes but I couldn’t help but feel that it all felt too rushed. I definitely think it would’ve added to the book if we got to see a little more of the aftermath of the Slaughter on page, rather than just through summary/exposition.
Still, this was a fantastic horror read for autumn written by a black author with a black protagonist! I enjoyed it all so much and will definitely checking out more from this author.
The writing in this book was unbelievable—so atmospheric and full of details without being unnecessarily convoluted. I could quite literally see all of the imagery in my mind’s eye, and there were very clear moments where I was able to watch characters move throughout the space as though I were watching a movie. On the topic of imagery, the horrific elements of this book were so creative and grotesque. I loved every single second of it.
Also, obsessed with our protagonist Immanuelle! Loved her so much. The author did an amazing job writing this character, to the point where even when she made decisions that I didn’t agree with, I still felt as though they were justifiable because of the kind of person she’d been crafted by the author to be.
The only reason why this isn’t getting the whole 5 stars from me is the pacing, namely near the very end of the book.
Still, this was a fantastic horror read for autumn written by a black author with a black protagonist! I enjoyed it all so much and will definitely checking out more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Gore, Death of parent, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
kendall919's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
melchncookies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, War, and Gore
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Blood, and Death
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
Excellent book. The writing is captivating and by the time I got to the last chapter I felt like I’d been holding my breath for too long. As I let the air escape me, I sat back, at the final chapter, needing to continue but not wanting it to be over. It was a nonstop dark twisty take of self discovery and learning that evil can come in many faces.laurenleigh's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I found myself rather bewitched by this book. I often had a hard time following the plot, but something about the prose style and the audiobook narration kept me listening. I originally read this for a “witches” reading challenge prompt, but then I realized it was a better fit for the “social horror genre” prompt. (Get Out is largely responsible I think for the renewed interest in this genre.) Henderson makes an important point with her plot. Doing nothing to challenge a status quo that actively harms part of a community is also harm itself. It’s easy to be complicit, which is partly why systems of oppression are upheld. I was interested in how the ending played out and how our protagonist didn’t pick one side, recognizing that both had their flaws. Love the spooky vibes, love the commentary even more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Gore, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual assault and Violence
decie's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Body horror, Rape, Sexism, Animal death, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Death, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Violence, Confinement, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Self harm and Racism
poppymopey's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the ending. I felt like it was too typical for the book, taking on a stance that many many novels of a similar topic take.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
bastieboi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Gore, and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Torture, and Rape
jessjess125's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was a recommendation from a friend who said I needed to spice up my current reads with some horror. I hate to say it but she was right! This was a fast-paced book about a girl named Immanuelle who is trying to find a place in a religious world where she feels like an outcast. It had some pretty strong implications about race but the author never really comes out and says that certain characters are treated differently because they're people of color. I enjoyed the ambiguity of the witches and the church, especially as someone who grew up in a very strict religious house. I only give this four and a half stars because certain characters (Ezra) seemed like they were totally useless to the plot. It felt like a forced romantic connection to me. Take Ezra out and Immanuelle is still a full on badass saving the day once more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood