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monster_tabs's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Stalking, and Racism
rahellarad'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
5.0
Honestly unputdownable. I was worried at first since this isn't my usual bag, and I have been known to hate books that follow a female protagonist with a family since so often they're portrayed as sad little pieces of cardboard to be moved around by other people. Patricia Campbell took that expectation and promptly stabbed it.
This book is so absolutely marvellously brilliant because it's a story about characters who do everything right. Grady Hendrix even mentions that so many people say of horror scenarios: "well if that were me, I simply would have done things correctly". And so he wrote a story where things *are* done correctly - concerns raised, evidence gathered, friends confided in, measures taken - and lo and behold, it helps not at all.
And that's exactly why this book is so terrifying. It's about being put in an inescapable situation with absolutely no way out, no matter what you try. Everyone you know turning on you, friends, family, people who have known you since childhood. All set against the quaint suburban backdrop of South Carolina in a neighbourhood where nobody is anything but polite - even when you insist that the man two houses over is a vampire.
Graphic: Rape, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Domestic abuse
It is suggested/implied that the monster of the book is engaging injustmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
troublesometrios's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Dementia and Domestic abuse
Minor: Classism, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, Child death, Stalking, and Animal death
aheinicke27's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I was really invested in the characters and wanted to punch all of their dumb husbands in the face pretty much every time they made an appearance — which granted wasn’t often because the husbands were pretty distant from their families due to their dumbness anyways. This was a great female power book, and I loved seeing how the women band together to keep their community safe. Amidst all of the horrors surrounding them, their friendship was the tool that helped them do what would have initially seemed impossible at the start of the book.
Overall, I liked the book. Will I read another horror book anytime soon? Probably not. Will I tell people about this book? Yes, but primarily to process my trauma from reading it. 😂
Graphic: Suicide, Gore, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Death, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child death, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
_cecilie_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.5
I will not repeat all my rantings and ravings here but compile a few of the points I thought most important. First, I really respect that this story would work almost as well if it had no fantasy in it at all and that it is frustrating but in a good, a real way. Patricia (and the other women in this story) is undervalued, not being believed, made to feel small and helpless and if you have any semblance of empathy it will make you curse and seethe on their behalf while feeling as powerless as them. Not to say that these are unproblematic characters, oh no! If you have a problem with reading about sexist or racist characters then maybe skip this one entirely, especially if you have the feeling that you need to brush up on your media literacy skills. All of these characters are flawed but at the same time distinct, fleshed out and worthy of sympathy.
I loved (hated, but it was a good kind of hate) that all of them had to sacrifice something, that nothing was sunshine and rainbows at the end but they had to deal with real consequences. Also, I'm not saying that chopping up poeple you hate is a great way to deal with them but some just have it coming.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Rape, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Gore, Grief, Sexism, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Stalking
lewbug's review against another edition
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Suicide, Death, Stalking, Classism, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror
ejlee111's review against another edition
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Child abuse, Death, Dementia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, and Cannibalism
torismazarine's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Stalking, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit
m3l3fic3nt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Blood, and Stalking
Minor: Dementia