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nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
kace's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Drug abuse, Body horror, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Torture, Sexual violence, and Gore
b_lownds127's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I didn't realize this was YA at first, but once I did I continued because I do often enjoy YA fantasy and this has a really intriguing plot and premise. Where it started to fall apart for me was the over-the-top southern breathiness of the narrator for Della and then the incredibly annoying character of Natasha. The character of Natasha was, like many heroines, driven by vengeance and unwilling to accept any facts that didn't fit into her own perceptions and theories but she was ALSO so easily misslead by red herrings that I as the reader figured out the entire mystery and villain by 50% and just felt as if I was waiting around for the characters to catch up. There were also 3 passages that felt not so much like dialogue but as if they had been lifted, stiff and protesting, from a Wikipedia article on missing and murdered women. Please don't misunderstand me - the author was valiantly trying to talk about important things, but the overall effect did not feel organic within the novel. The romance was a bit too insta-love for me too, though i adored the LGTBQIA+ representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
clovelatte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Stalking
check those content warnings but also wow this book is powerful. Idk if you have to be a little girl who plays in the woods and makes nasty brews from the forest floor who grows up to be an wrathful feminist to truly appreciate it but if that’s you just go ahead and inhale this book.alas0's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
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 evidencelike 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 andthe 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 !!
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
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
Overall a 10/10 book would recommend !!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Police brutality, Racism, and Torture
corriejn's review against another edition
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!)
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!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Murder, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Lesbophobia, Addiction, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Outing, Biphobia, Racism, and Trafficking
spiritedfaraway's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Stalking, Racism, Police brutality, and Panic attacks/disorders
beestingbea's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
A sapphic story with magic, monsters, and murder? What more could you ask for? It's the perfect begining of fall read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Stalking, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape
sapphicread's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC.
Magic. Mystery. Murder. All three components come together to make The River Has Teeth a book you won't want to put down.
The story pulls you in with the first interaction between Della and her mother, who's being kept in an abandoned prison to protect her and everyone else from her. Off the bat, we see a hint of the complexity of their relationship with her mother's drastic mood changes, Della's perceived indifference to her mother's hurtful actions as well as the way she takes care of her. When news spreads that two girls have gone missing in the woods nearby the prison, Della's first suspect is her mother because, despite her love for her, she understands the true nature of the monster she's become.
Next, we're introduced to Natasha Greymont. Her sister, Rochelle, has gone missing, and the police have no leads, so Natasha's angry. Angry enough to do the things no one else will do. Angry enough to make a deal with the devil to get her back. Though in this case, her devil is a witch named Della.
As the story progresses, Natasha learns her sister's secrets, finding that maybe she didn't know Rochelle as well as she thought. Della, on the other hand, struggles to not only reconcile the mother she knew with the monster she's become but also with the knowledge that her mother is most likely responsible for the disappearances. As the two work together to uncover the truth, one thing's certain: sometimes we need a little bit of magic.
This book really captures the immense rage and despair that often comes with grief and loss. The way anger can result in isolation, and the need to take back control - the lengths one will go to to regain that control. Natasha's pain is palpable, and while I did think she could be egocentric at times, I didn't hold it against her. Her anger and need for retribution were only a means to distract her from her loss. Though her fixations annoyed me at times, I could understand where she was coming from. I only wish her anger was directed into more fruitful pursuits.
Della's endurance and unrelenting love for her mother really speak to her character. The way she steps up and takes charge, in situations, someone at her age definitely shouldn't have to deal with-- shows her resilience. I loved her POV, but some of her inner monologues did become repetitive at times. She's hilariously ridiculous. There's nothing I love more than a character who can piss everyone off with just a few words. They both have their flaws, like all characters do, but watching their story unfold was beautiful.
Magic. Mystery. Murder. All three components come together to make The River Has Teeth a book you won't want to put down.
The story pulls you in with the first interaction between Della and her mother, who's being kept in an abandoned prison to protect her and everyone else from her. Off the bat, we see a hint of the complexity of their relationship with her mother's drastic mood changes, Della's perceived indifference to her mother's hurtful actions as well as the way she takes care of her. When news spreads that two girls have gone missing in the woods nearby the prison, Della's first suspect is her mother because, despite her love for her, she understands the true nature of the monster she's become.
Next, we're introduced to Natasha Greymont. Her sister, Rochelle, has gone missing, and the police have no leads, so Natasha's angry. Angry enough to do the things no one else will do. Angry enough to make a deal with the devil to get her back. Though in this case, her devil is a witch named Della.
As the story progresses, Natasha learns her sister's secrets, finding that maybe she didn't know Rochelle as well as she thought. Della, on the other hand, struggles to not only reconcile the mother she knew with the monster she's become but also with the knowledge that her mother is most likely responsible for the disappearances. As the two work together to uncover the truth, one thing's certain: sometimes we need a little bit of magic.
This book really captures the immense rage and despair that often comes with grief and loss. The way anger can result in isolation, and the need to take back control - the lengths one will go to to regain that control. Natasha's pain is palpable, and while I did think she could be egocentric at times, I didn't hold it against her. Her anger and need for retribution were only a means to distract her from her loss. Though her fixations annoyed me at times, I could understand where she was coming from. I only wish her anger was directed into more fruitful pursuits.
Della's endurance and unrelenting love for her mother really speak to her character. The way she steps up and takes charge, in situations, someone at her age definitely shouldn't have to deal with-- shows her resilience. I loved her POV, but some of her inner monologues did become repetitive at times. She's hilariously ridiculous. There's nothing I love more than a character who can piss everyone off with just a few words. They both have their flaws, like all characters do, but watching their story unfold was beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood, and Torture
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