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beautynherbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I'm...I'm gonna need to take a minute with this.
Also, please be aware of the TW before going into this book because the ending took me by surprise (not in the best of ways)
Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy my way.
Also, please be aware of the TW before going into this book because the ending took me by surprise (not in the best of ways)
Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy my way.
theawkwardbookw's review against another edition
2.0
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.5/5 Stars
Cat and her classmates are trapped in their school, with no recollection of how they got there, or why they are unable to leave. Many of the students around her are changing into creatures, including Cat, who's face has become a cat mask made of her own hardened flesh. A killer lurks the hallways searching for their next victim while Cat and her best friend Jefferey try to discover the killers true identity and find a way out.
This story alternates between the past and the present, which made the story a bit more interesting. This is a horror novel, with many gory scenes, so if that is a trigger for you, avoid reading this. The short chapters made this a quick read, and I liked trying to figure out the mystery behind why Cat and the others were stuck inside the school. I thought the ending was interesting, and I was not expecting it to end the way that it did, but it left me with mixed feelings upon completion.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
2.5/5 Stars
Cat and her classmates are trapped in their school, with no recollection of how they got there, or why they are unable to leave. Many of the students around her are changing into creatures, including Cat, who's face has become a cat mask made of her own hardened flesh. A killer lurks the hallways searching for their next victim while Cat and her best friend Jefferey try to discover the killers true identity and find a way out.
This story alternates between the past and the present, which made the story a bit more interesting. This is a horror novel, with many gory scenes, so if that is a trigger for you, avoid reading this. The short chapters made this a quick read, and I liked trying to figure out the mystery behind why Cat and the others were stuck inside the school. I thought the ending was interesting, and I was not expecting it to end the way that it did, but it left me with mixed feelings upon completion.
keelin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was probably the trippiest book I have ever read.
I had no idea what I was going to rate it. It made no sense, but I couldn't put it down.
It alternates between 2 timelines and the chapters are at most 4 pages long. The first timeline we get is Cat in the present I guess we will call it. She is wearing a cat mask made of her skin. She has no eyes. She is trapped in School along with other students, some who are changing (like her best friend Jeffrey who is turning into a cardboard person and Sissy who has tentacles) and some are not (like Jeffrey's bully brother Jake). Some students stop talking, start roaming the hallways and disappear. Then students start getting killed.
The second timeline is Cat remembering a time before she was trapped in School. A lot of her memories are about her friendship with Jeffrey and her crush on his brother Jake which turns into an intense case of bullying (lots of TWs in this book).
It was really interesting how the memories timeline kind of gave us clues to certain people and things in the timeline where Cat is trapped in School.
I don't want to say too much because a lot of things could be considered spoilers. I thought there was going to be some big reveal to make both timelines make sense, but it kind of never happened. We get an answer, but a lot was left up to interpretation and I really wanted an AH HA moment where everything made sense.
Definitely check the trigger warnings for this book if you are sensitive to them. This is definitely not a book for everyone, but honestly it is very relevant.
I had no idea what I was going to rate it. It made no sense, but I couldn't put it down.
It alternates between 2 timelines and the chapters are at most 4 pages long. The first timeline we get is Cat in the present I guess we will call it. She is wearing a cat mask made of her skin. She has no eyes. She is trapped in School along with other students, some who are changing (like her best friend Jeffrey who is turning into a cardboard person and Sissy who has tentacles) and some are not (like Jeffrey's bully brother Jake). Some students stop talking, start roaming the hallways and disappear. Then students start getting killed.
The second timeline is Cat remembering a time before she was trapped in School. A lot of her memories are about her friendship with Jeffrey and her crush on his brother Jake which turns into an intense case of bullying (lots of TWs in this book).
It was really interesting how the memories timeline kind of gave us clues to certain people and things in the timeline where Cat is trapped in School.
I don't want to say too much because a lot of things could be considered spoilers. I thought there was going to be some big reveal to make both timelines make sense, but it kind of never happened. We get an answer, but a lot was left up to interpretation and I really wanted an AH HA moment where everything made sense.
Definitely check the trigger warnings for this book if you are sensitive to them. This is definitely not a book for everyone, but honestly it is very relevant.
marinelibrareads's review against another edition
3.0
I was really scared of this book at first as a consequence of the bad reviews I saw on this book. I love Francesca Zappia’s writing and I was so excited to hear about her new book… and in the end I’m not disappointed BUT it’s not as good as her other works.
I was actually planning on giving this book a four or five stars rate… until the end. The end felt so rushed and imposed a reading of the book I didn’t want to have and I didn’t want to share. But so am I to contradict the author?
This book was deeply interesting, fast-paced and heart breaking and I would recommend it but I just wished I could delete the end.
TRIGGER WARNINGS! (from the author herself)
School bullying and violence / ed / gore, blood and death mentioned and depicted / sexual harassment
‘It hurt, knowing he was there, but I couldn’t touch him, couldn’t speak to him, as if we were on two sides of a thick glass wall’
‘I had to mark everything, even if no one ever saw. I had to draw picture after picture, and it never felt like enough. I was pretty sure when I died, I would still feel like I hadn’t been here’
‘The world wasn’t created to make sense, and I was finished trying to find some in it’
I was actually planning on giving this book a four or five stars rate… until the end. The end felt so rushed and imposed a reading of the book I didn’t want to have and I didn’t want to share. But so am I to contradict the author?
This book was deeply interesting, fast-paced and heart breaking and I would recommend it but I just wished I could delete the end.
TRIGGER WARNINGS! (from the author herself)
School bullying and violence / ed / gore, blood and death mentioned and depicted / sexual harassment
‘It hurt, knowing he was there, but I couldn’t touch him, couldn’t speak to him, as if we were on two sides of a thick glass wall’
‘I had to mark everything, even if no one ever saw. I had to draw picture after picture, and it never felt like enough. I was pretty sure when I died, I would still feel like I hadn’t been here’
‘The world wasn’t created to make sense, and I was finished trying to find some in it’
voidkid's review against another edition
4.0
Would have been a 5 star, but the memories of Cat’s life in high school were quite boring and cliché. They dragged compared with the interesting parts set in the present. I liked the illustrations.
xangemtheelibrarian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Cat is so precious. And so is Jeffery. It is so hard to see people trying to navigate bullying and hatred.
I actually really liked this alternate reality kind of horror universe where the popular kids look like normal humans and the outcasts like Cat look strange and inhuman. I like how the Outcasts outer forms matched how Cat described their human selves too. I like the theme of looking human not necessarily equalling acting human. And I honestly think that the ending fit this story so incredibly well.
I love it. What a great story to kick off 2023.
I actually really liked this alternate reality kind of horror universe where the popular kids look like normal humans and the outcasts like Cat look strange and inhuman. I like how the Outcasts outer forms matched how Cat described their human selves too. I like the theme of looking human not necessarily equalling acting human. And I honestly think that the ending fit this story so incredibly well.
I love it. What a great story to kick off 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Eating disorder
emmreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Hoooooooly... I didn't realize this would be a horror going in, but it becomes apparent VERY quickly. The imagery is so vivid and gory with Kat's dehumanized classmates, and jarring when we flip back to the other timeline. And it hurts, it really hurts as we begin to put the pieces together. There's one moment where the narrator is just repeating the same word over and over again... my heart. This isn't a book for everyone, especially in these times, but it's such a good representation of *grief*. Now to snuggle up with a cozy happy book to get me out of these feels.
*Thank you to Harper Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to Harper Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*
maeganisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4⭐️
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada/HCCFreazy for gifting me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger Warnings: bullying, mention of eating disorder, explicit violence, blood, gore, knife violence, death by hanging, gun violence, body dismemberment.
Cat doesn’t remember how she got trapped in her school. She doesn’t know some of her fellow classmates are changing into monstrous creatures, and others are not. As her memories start to resurface, she must fight to find a way out and survive the killer that’s killing them off slowly.
This book is disturbing. And terrifying but also hauntingly brilliant. The dual timeline plays such a key role in this story. The switch between past and present gives so much information but still keeps the mystery of it all. I really enjoyed the short chapters. It was easy to follow along with and was hard to put down. The characters were intense and creepy. Very American Horror Story-esque.
The biggest issue I had was with the ending. I can see where the author was trying to go but the events didn’t seem to line up as perfect as they could have. I can’t say too much or else I’ll spoil it but the ending still had me a little confused. This book had me thinking about every possible outcome and I was not expecting what had actually happened. The last 50 pages had me gasping and constantly saying “wtf” but I still couldn’t put it down.
This book was also very gruesome and will have you twitching and gawking at what is described. It was gory, bloody, and spine tingling. It’s very descriptive with the gore so please check trigger warnings before reading. Quite a few scenes had me gasping and feeling nauseous because of the descriptions.
Overall, this book was disturbing but in a weirdly satisfying way. I don’t usually read horror books, but I’d definitely recommend this one for the Halloween season!
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada/HCCFreazy for gifting me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger Warnings: bullying, mention of eating disorder, explicit violence, blood, gore, knife violence, death by hanging, gun violence, body dismemberment.
Cat doesn’t remember how she got trapped in her school. She doesn’t know some of her fellow classmates are changing into monstrous creatures, and others are not. As her memories start to resurface, she must fight to find a way out and survive the killer that’s killing them off slowly.
This book is disturbing. And terrifying but also hauntingly brilliant. The dual timeline plays such a key role in this story. The switch between past and present gives so much information but still keeps the mystery of it all. I really enjoyed the short chapters. It was easy to follow along with and was hard to put down. The characters were intense and creepy. Very American Horror Story-esque.
The biggest issue I had was with the ending. I can see where the author was trying to go but the events didn’t seem to line up as perfect as they could have. I can’t say too much or else I’ll spoil it but the ending still had me a little confused. This book had me thinking about every possible outcome and I was not expecting what had actually happened. The last 50 pages had me gasping and constantly saying “wtf” but I still couldn’t put it down.
This book was also very gruesome and will have you twitching and gawking at what is described. It was gory, bloody, and spine tingling. It’s very descriptive with the gore so please check trigger warnings before reading. Quite a few scenes had me gasping and feeling nauseous because of the descriptions.
Overall, this book was disturbing but in a weirdly satisfying way. I don’t usually read horror books, but I’d definitely recommend this one for the Halloween season!