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sistersula's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
quiet_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia
gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Sexism
pjdotcom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
darumachan's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting
Moderate: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Vomit
achay91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy
flamesocks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
ekmoore11'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Forced institutionalization
yellow_ylugbug's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Pregnancy
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved this! The last 600 page novel I read was Dune and in some ways that felt like such a slog in comparison to this. I occasionally had issues - pauses that lasted too long, issues with the pacing - especially when the beginning and middle felt like they were building to something that wasn't quite carried to fruition by the culmination of Alex and Libby's plot and the modern Hollywood plot. The tone at the start was also interesting to adjust to, with a very camp Gothic element - often an interesting shift when the narrator themselves is a bit of an all-knowing, anonymous character (and frequently reminds the reader of this).
That said, all of these are minor quibbles in an otherwise fun and absorbing take on queer horror. Danforth has a brilliant grasp on when to employ terror and when to employ horror. The novel has lots of potential themes but ultimately seems to be about the dangers of spectacle, not unlike my other horror favourite of this year, Jordan Peele's Nope. I also loved Harper, Audrey and Merritt's characters, who are all complex and three-dimensional. Merritt was especially interesting and accurate as a survivor of bereavement by suicide, and someone who came to writing and success young and is now floundering in her 20s.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia