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cuddlygryphon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Body horror, Car accident, and Homophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Medical content, and Vomit
foxmulders's review
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Car accident
Moderate: Torture, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Child abuse, and Body horror
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Having been raised Evangelical, this hit particularly close to home, especially in the way that it depicts the type of psychological conditioning and manipulation employed by the Church as a means of control.
For instance, the genuine fear and distrust of one’s own thoughts and natural impulses; the constant sense of being surveilled by some unseen entity, be it God or Satan (who is always on the prowl for an opening to possess your soul); the looming threat of eternal damnation; the discouragement of curiosity for the sake of remaining ignorant and dependent on faith; etc.
This book does such a good job of portraying the slow, unsettling experience of beginning to notice how the things around you—that you’ve accepted as normal your entire life—suddenly seem wrong, ridiculous, or at worst, downright sinister. It also addresses the various ways someone who grew up in the church, then left it, might grapple with a) their relationship with God/faith, and b) their guilt over their involvement with the Church at all. (It reminds me of that “I’m sorry for the things I said as an Evangelical teenager” photo that went viral.)
Most importantly, this is a book about regaining one’s autonomy and sense of self. I LOVED that about it.
But while I enjoy stories that hold up a mirror to my own trauma because I find them validating, I also recognize that this book depicts a horror that some people have actually lived: conversion therapy camp. So I understand if that’s just too much for some folks.
Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Death, Homophobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, and Kidnapping
jkpiowa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Drug use
chrobin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Violence, and Vomit
cosmopsis'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: Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Body horror, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail
dealingwithdragons's review
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Outing, Child death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Murder, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Medical content, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Blood, Child abuse, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Ableism and Abandonment
tiredcreature's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Car accident and Drug use
CW parasites/infectionmburnsides's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Car accident
Minor: Drug use and Torture
kit666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The parts with the flies were especially disgusting and horrific to me. Loved it! So disgusting! When they crawled out of Dr. Smith's tear ducts I had to rub my eyes to remind myself that it wasn't happening to me.
I also loved the spin on hell being cold and demons being killed by fire. I'm sure it's been done lots of times, but it was a first for me and super interesting.
The entire found family aspect was heartwarming. The bond between Willow and Rose still remaining after all this trauma and them not immediately going back to "before" when they met again was lovely. It draws you in, when something so human happens.
A lovely found family supernatural horror book. I loved it!
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
Minor: Drug use, Gore, Medical content, Confinement, Torture, Deadnaming, and Gun violence