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chanel_elise's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Child abuse
judassilver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Suicide, Dementia, Cannibalism, and Grief
Minor: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
lady_bountiful's review
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Animal death, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Body horror
saltycoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Cannibalism, Body horror, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Gore, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Mental illness, and Kidnapping
lucylou's review against another edition
3.75
Minor gripe about this book: the author almost only describes characters’ eyes as “wide,” so often that it was actually distracting.
I read 3/4ths and listened to the last 1/4th, and I would recommend listening to the audiobook- Kimberly Farr does a fantastic job.
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Animal death
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Cannibalism, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness
tabookish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Gore, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Dementia
hanj12's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, and Child abuse
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, Death of parent, and Mental illness
dev921's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Grief
throwback682's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
As someone said on Reddit, “I think that it’s an entertaining ghost story that is better as a deconstruction of abusive relationships.” and I couldn’t put it better myself. If you’re not reading this book as allegory then you’re fucking up. Part of me thinks the comparisons were laid on a bit thick, but given the amount of people who didn’t seem to read it this way, maybe not. I also thought it was very funny, especially the early chapters, but again many folks don’t seem to see the humor.
Yes I guessed a twist way ahead of time but it was also sort of not the point - a slight red herring for a bigger twist.
In short: it was a funny, spooky book, that dealt with very heavy and potentially triggering subject matter in a novel way.
I think everything people complained about in other reviews (the annoying, infuriating daughter; the repetitiveness) all served a purpose. I think it worked really well.
I just wish it hadn’t relied on ableist stereotypes/stigmas against mentally ill folks, is truly my only real complaint.
Read with caution if you’ve been a victim of intimate partner violence.
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism
Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement
Minor: Forced institutionalization
Tons of body horror and blood throughout, including involving children. The entire book is an allegory for an abusive relationship involving alcoholism. Mentally ill people are stigmatized as violent.kjnavillus's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Gore, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, and Alcoholism