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manicfemme's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Plain Bad Heroines was a haunting, humorous, and extremely sapphic blend of historical & contemporary storylines that I absolutely adored. I was intimidated by the length at first, but this book was compulsively readable, and hard to put down! I'm not usually a gothic horror reader, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about Plain Bad Heroines, but the promise of explicitly stated, on page lesbian rep lured me in, and I'm so glad it did!
I know this is a book review, but I gotta say: Can y'all imagine how amazing Plain Bad Heroines would be as a movie? Come on, Hollywood, make it happen!
ARC Note: This one is a little complicated, because I received an e-ARC from Netgalley, then won a physical ARC in a Goodreads giveaway, and then received an ALC from Libro.FM. So thank you to Netgalley, Goodreads, Libro.fm and William Morrow! All opinions are my own.
I know this is a book review, but I gotta say: Can y'all imagine how amazing Plain Bad Heroines would be as a movie? Come on, Hollywood, make it happen!
ARC Note: This one is a little complicated, because I received an e-ARC from Netgalley, then won a physical ARC in a Goodreads giveaway, and then received an ALC from Libro.FM. So thank you to Netgalley, Goodreads, Libro.fm and William Morrow! All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Minor: Fatphobia
glitzersmilla's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Violence, and Grief
whatellisreadnext's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"๐๐ฐ๐ฏ'๐ต ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ'๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ฆ."
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 ๐ 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 gross๐คข 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 eyes๐๐ปโโ๏ธ 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!
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 ๐ 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 gross๐คข 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 eyes๐๐ปโโ๏ธ 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!
Content Warnings
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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had a great time with this book, a gothic horror novel about a cursed girls' school, and the film crew who was trying to make a movie on-location about the curse. The first half of the book is extremely entertaining as the tension builds. The characters' flaws are well-written and at times kind of overshadowed the supernatural horror of the story, which I really enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Self harm
Minor: Homophobia
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CW: death, homophobia, injuries, deception
All I wanted was a creepy horror book and this delivered for my spooky season. Even better it has: sapphic love stories that are explicitly queer, historical gays, ghosts, a narrator who loves to interject with footnotes. It just brought me so much joy and it's a hard book to explain.
At its base, there's a movie being made about a book that was written, a book based on history. The movie involves a superstar, Harper Harper, who's gay. Then there's the author of the book, Merrit, who's involved in the movie's making on some level. And then there's Audrey, the daughter of a horror star, who's getting back into acting. Then, on another level of the book, there's the historical story about two girls, Flo and Clara, who die at their school, Brookhants, in a tragic accident and were definitely in a queer relationship. Add on top of that the headmistress, Libbie, has her own story and queer relationship with her "gal pal," Alex. Then there's the school itself and all the things that have occurred there.
The book is deliciously layered together to create this sweeping story that doesn't feel quite done even when you close the book. There's something more, something left out. It just feels like there's more to the story. I thought the book could have been longer to have more of a wrap-up, but I did enjoy this book so much. It was a great read and I need it on my shelf.
All I wanted was a creepy horror book and this delivered for my spooky season. Even better it has: sapphic love stories that are explicitly queer, historical gays, ghosts, a narrator who loves to interject with footnotes. It just brought me so much joy and it's a hard book to explain.
At its base, there's a movie being made about a book that was written, a book based on history. The movie involves a superstar, Harper Harper, who's gay. Then there's the author of the book, Merrit, who's involved in the movie's making on some level. And then there's Audrey, the daughter of a horror star, who's getting back into acting. Then, on another level of the book, there's the historical story about two girls, Flo and Clara, who die at their school, Brookhants, in a tragic accident and were definitely in a queer relationship. Add on top of that the headmistress, Libbie, has her own story and queer relationship with her "gal pal," Alex. Then there's the school itself and all the things that have occurred there.
The book is deliciously layered together to create this sweeping story that doesn't feel quite done even when you close the book. There's something more, something left out. It just feels like there's more to the story. I thought the book could have been longer to have more of a wrap-up, but I did enjoy this book so much. It was a great read and I need it on my shelf.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, and Mental illness
isnotacrayon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Drug use and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Fatphobia and Dementia
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Thanks to William Morrow Books for the free advance copy of this book.
In 1902 at the Brookhants School for Girls, a group of young women become obsessed with the published journals of Mary MacLane, a scandalous book in which she confesses to sapphic tendencies, and where the girls see themselves reflected. After creating the Plain Bad Heroine Society, though, two of them die a horrific death on school grounds - the first in a series of terrible deaths. A century later, a famed horror film director is making a movie about the story, starring the hottest it girl celesbian. But the curse of Brookhants seems to be following them now...or is it?
Whew, PLAIN BAD HEROINES is hard to sum up - it's a series of nested stories that all feed on each other, with recurring imagery and old bloodlines and perpetual questions about what is real and what is staged. And I loved it.
It's one of those rare books where I'm equally invested in each set of characters, and there are several sets of women we follow in this book. Some scenes had my skin crawling, others had me laughing and reading passages out loud to my partner. And on top of all that, it's queer, so queer! Generations of women loving women and they all felt real to me. Don't let the fact that this book is 600+ pages deter you - sinking into the world of Brookhants was a fully engulfing experience and I didn't want it to be over.
Content warnings: homophobia, death, murder, wasps, sexual assault, institutionalization.
In 1902 at the Brookhants School for Girls, a group of young women become obsessed with the published journals of Mary MacLane, a scandalous book in which she confesses to sapphic tendencies, and where the girls see themselves reflected. After creating the Plain Bad Heroine Society, though, two of them die a horrific death on school grounds - the first in a series of terrible deaths. A century later, a famed horror film director is making a movie about the story, starring the hottest it girl celesbian. But the curse of Brookhants seems to be following them now...or is it?
Whew, PLAIN BAD HEROINES is hard to sum up - it's a series of nested stories that all feed on each other, with recurring imagery and old bloodlines and perpetual questions about what is real and what is staged. And I loved it.
It's one of those rare books where I'm equally invested in each set of characters, and there are several sets of women we follow in this book. Some scenes had my skin crawling, others had me laughing and reading passages out loud to my partner. And on top of all that, it's queer, so queer! Generations of women loving women and they all felt real to me. Don't let the fact that this book is 600+ pages deter you - sinking into the world of Brookhants was a fully engulfing experience and I didn't want it to be over.
Content warnings: homophobia, death, murder, wasps, sexual assault, institutionalization.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
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