Reviews

The Devil's Grip by Lina Wolff

reillywilmit's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

kathrynk's review

dark slow-paced

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

3.75

Well, this kind of went off the rails. This book focuses on Minnie, who's in an abusive relationship with Mickey, who, as we're reminded of throughout the book, is an "ugly fatty." She becomes convinced that there are two demons inside of them and that's why it's so unhealthy (not because Mickey is a horrible person who beats her). It's a fascinating look at the inner thoughts of someone who knows she's in an unhealthy relationship, but is convinced she's not actually. The amount of gas-lighting was unreal. The writing was pretty straight forward and engaging with short chapters. The characters at times all felt like caricatures and the situations unbelievable which made this darkly funny, frustrating, and horrifying at the same time. Then it gets wild at like 60% of the way through. It took me three weeks to read this (mostly bc I had other things going on and didn't have a lot of time to pick it up), but I finished the last 150 or so pages in one sitting. Again, it was so darkly entertaining and horrifying that I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel.

I think it's worth a read if you're into "wtf did I read" psychological literary horror??? But only 3.5 stars bc I wish it gripped me (haha) more in the beginning. You know from the blurb that Minnie eventually leaves, but it just felt like it too a while to get there.

Thank you to my local bookstore for the ARC!

sasinshort's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

whamydid's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

funkyauntjules's review

dark sad fast-paced

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

2.0

bummer alert: i loved carnality but this book was almost impossible to finish. she threaded all of the themes and moments in the book together, but at the end of the day i don't want to feel any love or sympathy or anything remotely positive for an abuser.

she ends up in a worse, life threatening, and unrealistic situation- so i'm supposed to make sense of the fact that she wants to go back? that maybe being beaten by her ugly boyfriend wasn't all that bad?

the dialogue and other plot points feel so extreme they're unrealistic. the stakes aren't really that high for most of the time. the characters don't feel like real people. the ending was giving my year of rest and relaxation: more disappointing than cathartic or compelling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Torture

punkweed's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

zlinnfandel's review

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes