Scan barcode
maeverose's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
This is a somewhat generous 3 star.
I have mixed feelings. I really liked the premise, and I liked some things here and there, but overall it was very meh. It had a bit of a meandering plot. A lot of the things I disliked you could say are just because it’s middle grade. (Some predictable plot twists, not very scary, the very tidy ending.Though I will say, Seth’s reaction to when Coco saved Ollie at the end was very satisfying ). Some of the things I disliked are very nit picky - mainly just weird wording here and there (taxidermy is filled with cotton, not formaldehyde…?). It really bothered me that Brian was so neglected in this book. This felt like Ollie and Coco’s story, with him as a background character. They’re the only two we get a pov from. He was even completely absent for the vast majority of the actual ‘game’, and even when he was there I don’t remember him ever doing much besides what other people told him to. Considering he’s the only black character, that doesn’t sit right with me. I also wanted to know Gretel and Gabe’s backstory, and found it a bit odd that we didn’t get that.
I have mixed feelings. I really liked the premise, and I liked some things here and there, but overall it was very meh. It had a bit of a meandering plot. A lot of the things I disliked you could say are just because it’s middle grade. (Some predictable plot twists, not very scary, the very tidy ending.
But again, it’s middle grade so maybe I’m being too critical.
Side note: I still think Coco is autistic. Examples:
1. She’s an anxious person
2. She has unique special interests
3. She has very strong emotional reactions to things
4. She’s excessively clumsy in a way that kinda suggests dyspraxia imo
Side note: I still think Coco is autistic. Examples:
1. She’s an anxious person
2. She has unique special interests
3. She has very strong emotional reactions to things
4. She’s excessively clumsy in a way that kinda suggests dyspraxia imo
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Fatphobia
Minor spoilers for the first chapter:louisegraveyard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Minor: Slavery, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child death, Torture, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Car accident
emily_mh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was like a middle-grade “The Shining”. It had INCREDIBLE atmosphere. However, it didn’t feel super captivating, and the character development was lacking. I kind of wish the whole thing had been engineered to be told from only Coco’s POV so that there was a deeper dive into her character.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Child death, and Animal death
Minor: Car accident, Abandonment, Confinement, and Suicide
HP reference. Minor warnings for plane crash and epidemic.
More...