Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The River Has Teeth

when I picked up this book I didn't know what to expect but now that I read it, I'm so happy I decided to pick it up it was soo good !!
the mystery !!! the creepy writing and atmosphere !! it was exactly my type of book.

Della was my favorite, I love the cold-hearted witch trope.
Natasha was ok, I'm guessing that she was not meant to be likable in a traditional scene, but that's ok even when she jumps to a conclusion with very little evidence

like for example calling the police on Miles

but I love their dynamic! even if the romance felt a little fast-paced but after reflecting on it, it makes scenes with everything that's happened that emotions would be running fast.

and the plot twists!! admittedly it felt a little out of nowhere but if I were to reread it then the clue would most likely be more obvious probably. The ending overall was amazing and

the Bloody Millers' death was wonderful, love that his victims got their revenge and in such a symbolic way too!!

Overall a 10/10 book would recommend !!

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lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

3.5

I enjoyed listening to this. I really liked Della's voice actor! The story was engaging, interesting, and felt new. It wasn't always easy to get back into after taking a pause, but I never actually regretted it.

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corriejn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Witchy, magic-laden young adult mystery fiction. It's hard to say too much about this book without spoilers, but it's a creative and engaging book for the genre.

A few non-spoiler-y notes: the LGBTQIA+ tag is not inappropriate for this book, but I will say that some of the earlier introductions of queer characters felt a bit self-conscious/gratuitous. By that I mean going out of the way to establish queer identities of characters in ways that didn't seem natural as part of conversations in the narrative, and felt more like pointing out those identities to tick a representation box than presenting characters naturally as whoever they were (i.e., them presented matter-of-factly in the ways they went about their lives and relationships). (Same with race; there is a Black character among the supporting roles, but that does not seem to a real/impactful part of the character's identity and life, but mentioned occasionally to remind the reader of the fact.) This is all still well ahead of books that treat all characters as white/cis/het by default, of course, but there are also books (including within YA fiction) that handle diversity better.

Another theme that felt a tad ineptly handled (again, without any major spoilers here) was one of the main character's pasts, as a child who was adopted later in childhood. The descriptions of the character's feelings about/relationship to their biological parents and adoptive family read as a bit trite and simplistic. Representation of a variety of life experiences is great, but again this was not dealt with with the greatest nuance or depth/complexity of characters (indeed, the adoptive family/said character's relationship to them get only the briefest of coverage).

All that being said, I'm still rating this 4.5 because for the genre/intended audience the inclusion of various identities and life experiences is still a plus and may not have been encountered in a lot of other fiction texts, even if they could have been more skillfully addressed. This remains an engaging and creative book (though do check the substantial CWs if any of those are a concern), and a recommended read for late-teen to adult readers. (The positive aspects of the story are more difficult to outline with plot spoilers!)

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kitausu's review against another edition

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Dnf at 20%

I really wanted to like this, but I just was not having a good time.

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rotten_r4ven's review

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dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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aqulia's review

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

This is book is pretty good, but there are some flaws. Jake is dropped from the storyline with little follow-up, which felt unfulfilling. The main characters, Delia and Natalie, come across as jerks too many times to be very sympathetic. Also, this book is misandrist in parts. While I understand that there are horrible men out there, and that the patriarchy is a serious problem, this book goes too far with it's message. The message seems to be that all men are evil and monstrous, when there are plenty of good men out there in reality. The author is more sympathetic toward the women then the men, and gives women excuses when the men don't get any slack.

Who do I recommend this to?: Honestly, not many people. If you're a big fan of witches, maybe, but the problems with the book's message discourage me from recommending it more.
Will I read more by this author?: Maybe. The writing and plot was good, and there are strong characters, but the way the theme is handled is off putting.

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emsim's review

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-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

5.0

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