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mar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
joufancyhuh'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
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Biphobia, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
violet_pages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Vomit
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, and Grief
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It's over 600 pages and the first 200 are fairly slow but it built until I found it compulsively readable. I've seen mixed reviews, I think largely due to its length and meandering style but I was having such a good time I didn't want it to end. I borrowed the ebook from my library but I think I'll buy a copy in the future because I definitely want to re-read it one day.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Vomit
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent
thestarlitpage'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
5.0
I usually start reviews with a brief summary of a book’s premise, but the narrator of Plain Bad Heroines sums it up so succinctly with this quote:
“Everything else to come in these pages comprises the story of three heroines from the present and more heroines from the past and how they all collided around Brookhants, and a book, and also a book about Brookhants.”
Harper Harper, Merritt Emmons, and Audrey Wells are brought together by the Hollywood production of Merritt’s book, The Happenings at Brookhants, which tells the story of Clara and Flo—a couple in love who met a tragic end at their girls’ boarding school in 1902. The story jumps back and forth in time between the aftermath of Clara and Flo’s deaths and the present.
Plain Bad Heroines is a haunting and macabre gothic horror story with a richly layered meta-narrative that I couldn’t get enough of. Atmospheric and unsettling, the Brookhants curse seeps through every page. This is one of those reads where a setting has a strong enough presence that it begins to feel like a character in and of itself. It’s also one of those rare reads where I felt invested in each and every characters’ storyline. Every heroine featured was richly developed with a distinct voice. I could have read a full book dedicated to any one of them and yet the interlacing of their stories is what made this book so addicting.
Plain Bad Heroines is my favorite type of read. It's a compelling narrative that stacks stories like nesting dolls, has a lovely way with words, and—if you want to get into the gestalt of the reading experience—the design of the book itself from it's illustrations, end pages and dust jacket design to the color of the cover is complete and utter perfection. It's a book that reminds you that there’s always more to the story. It's creepy enough to churn the stomach and get under the skin (and if you're anything like me, its influence might make its not way into a borderline nightmare with a swarm of yellow jackets) but it's not a scary read.
This is one that I'll definitely be revisiting and adding to my favorites shelf.
I'd recommend this to readers looking for something a little bit dark, readers who like beautifully told stories, and readers who like Gothic horror and stories with curses and haunted places.
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders
reading_between_the_trees's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Fatphobia
emsim's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, and Dementia
ohwowbee's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It is set in part in 1902, and the years immediately following the tragic death of two girls at Brookhants School for Girls. From there; we hop, skip and jump timelines seamlessly to the present day, where our Three Heroines, Harper, Merritt, and Audrey are involved in the production of a film based on those past events. Horrifying shenanigans ensue.
Danforth creates a cast of characters who are all selfish, flawed, and wonderful. And there is nary a heterosexual in sight!!
It’s been a long time since I’ve devoured a 600+ page book, but here we are.
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, and Rape
whatellisreadnext's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In 1902, Flo and Clara are found dead in the woods on the grounds of Brookhants School for Girls. Over a century later, a film crew have arrived to the tell the story of the curse surrounding Brookhants, but what if the narrative is still being written?
Plain Bad Heroines is gross and scary and so very queer. I was living for it 👏 I have never read a book like this one before, the imagination that Danforth has to create a story this rich, is just astounding. The book is written in 3rd person, with a narrator that is always breaking the fourth wall and addressing the reader directly. I loved this about the writing, it felt like a story just for me.
I mentioned this book is gross. I'm talking dead wasps in your mouth gross🤢 Although, the story was pretty slow in pace, and coming it at 619 pages, I'm not surprised. Saying that, all of the narrative felt like it had a purpose, and the slowness of the writing, in my eyes, built the tension so that the creepy and the gross parts hit even harder.
I became so attached to the three main characters, Harper, Merritt and Audrey. Yes, they all had their flaws, but I was rooting them, as they protected each other and grew together. This book wasn't the dark academia I had been craving, but it did have a love triangle, so that's a win in my eyes💁🏻♀️ The lesbian and bisexual representation in Plain Bad Heroines is incredible. There are atleast three F/F relationships focused on in the narrative, all set in different timelines.
I recommend that you go into this one knowing that you have the time to dedicate to it. And if this review didn't quite sell you on it, just know that there are illustrations dotted throughout. I loved this, it added that little extra to the narrative.
Thanks so much to Borough Press for the gifted copy. This is out in the UK on the 4th of February!
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Grief
barilleon's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Child death and Self harm
Minor: Homophobia