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reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Car accident
terpsichore1674's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This time jumping, atmospheric, romantic sprawl of a horror (?) novel upends convention -- much like its rotating cast of plain, bad heroines. Though it lags in some places and races breakneck (Readers, I used that word for a reason!) through others, it somehow all works. Except for the ending. Which doesn't NOT work, it's just ... It feels rushed and missing context, like a Scooby Doo villain reveal during the historical portion and a little too pat and tidy in the modern day scenes. That being said, the characters are richly drawn, the scares aren't too scary, the plot is built like a Matryoshka doll, and the narrative rides like a vintage Jaguar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Pregnancy
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Homophobia, and Grief
librariangeorgia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Violence
mar's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i usually get frustrated with audiobooks longer than ~8 hours, but I listened to the 19.5h of this one no problem and enjoyed it!! it's slow, but also really captivating and does a great job of building up the tension and creepiness, though it's sadly a little lacking in payoff in the end - I found the ends of both narratives a little abrupt and unsatisfying in different ways (genuinely finished it and went huh. more people should've died :/ or at least get traumatized a little more :/ FJDKGNKF) but overall I did have fun. the characters are compelling, if not always likeable, and the snarky omniscient narrator is excellent. in conclusion i love messy horror sapphics
Content Warnings
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
cinnamingsley's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
If you love a narrative with sarcasm and dry humor, then you will love thissss. But if you don't, you're probably going to find it really slow-paced. I love the narrative and the whole vibes of this book. It's like Dead Poets Society meets The Haunting of Bly Manor. But, I won't lie, I did not love part of the ending. It was like this massive info dump where a lot of the stuff just felt a bit random/irrelevant. Howeverrrrr, the very last chapter was sososo good, like literally the best possible ending for a horror story that haunts everyone that comes across the book's storyline. You'll know what I mean if you read it. I really want to read Mary Maclanes book now just to understand PBH's storyline better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual assault and Grief
ionka's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug use, and Fatphobia
joufancyhuh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Points for being super sapphic, but I think I hated every character at least once during the story. I wouldn't call this horror so much as super gross bug experiences. I do think I know who the narrator is, considering the whole speech of "knowing everything" that's given near the end. Not sure I would recommend this to anyone. It's a lengthy commitment for a story I left feeling meh about.
Content Warnings
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
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
wordsofclover's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Narration 5/5 stars
Book 3/5 stars
I received an audiobook version of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A story within a story within a story. The story of the Brookhants School for Girls and the horrific death of students and lovers Clara and Flo due to a swarm of yellow jackets. Shortly after their death, another student is found dead through accidental poisoning, and it's not long before another body follows. Over 100 years later, actresses Harper and Audrey are playing Clara and Flo in a movie about Brookhants and team up with Merritt, the author of a book about the school. But strange things are happening, and it's hard to know if the school and the story is really cursed or if it's all just a strange coincidence.
This is a slow burn story that flips back and forth between 1902 and the story of Clara and Flo, but also the story of Libby and Alex - teachers in the school, as well as chapters from Audrey and Merritt as filming of the movie gets underway and they are both charmed by the enigmatic starlet Harper Harper. The unravelling of the story and the slow reveals of the death and destruction in 1902, as well as the weird things you aren't sure are really happening in Brookhants in the modern story (is it all in the girls' heads?), were all done really well and I did very much enjoy my audiobook experience of the story.
I have to say the audiobook is absolutely excellent and I 100% recommend it for anyone thinking of picking up via this reading method. The narrator Xe Sands is just brilliant at what she does (I've previously listened to another book she narrated Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk) and her voice is just so suitable to a certain type of narration - one that is educating the reader but is able to hold a lot of mystery and power but also a but of humour and mischief (I know something you don't know).
The story, especially near the end didn't contain a real shocking moment or a 'wow' moment for me which is why it's at a 3 star but it's a strong 3 star for me. I'm not sure as well if dark academia is a genre I really love either.
I loved the relationship between the girls - how it started with Harper and Merritt and then how slowly, Audrey was drawn into the fold and they became this trio against the world. The last chapter served up so many iconic moments I feel I could see on my own Instagram feed as people reported on the premiere, it was done really well.
Book 3/5 stars
I received an audiobook version of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A story within a story within a story. The story of the Brookhants School for Girls and the horrific death of students and lovers Clara and Flo due to a swarm of yellow jackets. Shortly after their death, another student is found dead through accidental poisoning, and it's not long before another body follows. Over 100 years later, actresses Harper and Audrey are playing Clara and Flo in a movie about Brookhants and team up with Merritt, the author of a book about the school. But strange things are happening, and it's hard to know if the school and the story is really cursed or if it's all just a strange coincidence.
This is a slow burn story that flips back and forth between 1902 and the story of Clara and Flo, but also the story of Libby and Alex - teachers in the school, as well as chapters from Audrey and Merritt as filming of the movie gets underway and they are both charmed by the enigmatic starlet Harper Harper. The unravelling of the story and the slow reveals of the death and destruction in 1902, as well as the weird things you aren't sure are really happening in Brookhants in the modern story (is it all in the girls' heads?), were all done really well and I did very much enjoy my audiobook experience of the story.
I have to say the audiobook is absolutely excellent and I 100% recommend it for anyone thinking of picking up via this reading method. The narrator Xe Sands is just brilliant at what she does (I've previously listened to another book she narrated Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk) and her voice is just so suitable to a certain type of narration - one that is educating the reader but is able to hold a lot of mystery and power but also a but of humour and mischief (I know something you don't know).
The story, especially near the end didn't contain a real shocking moment or a 'wow' moment for me which is why it's at a 3 star but it's a strong 3 star for me. I'm not sure as well if dark academia is a genre I really love either.
I loved the relationship between the girls - how it started with Harper and Merritt and then how slowly, Audrey was drawn into the fold and they became this trio against the world. The last chapter served up so many iconic moments I feel I could see on my own Instagram feed as people reported on the premiere, it was done really well.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault