Scan barcode
_teoeo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
But I have to admit that the explanation for everything (most of it?) isn't as satisfying as I hoped. And, ngl, this book didn't have to be 600 pages long. 100-150 pages less would totally do it.
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
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
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Dementia, Abortion, and Death of parent
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
kharlan3's review against another edition
Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Yellow jackets feature heavily in the horrorpineneedles'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, and Vomit
Minor: Forced institutionalization
bedtimesandbooks'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: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bookburdy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Pros
- The narrator was my favorite (hilarious and talking to you specifically) I recommend the audiobook!
- I enjoyed the creepy crawly bits (the yellow jackets)
- Loved the atmosphere and the writing
- I liked the multiple points of view.
- It was trying to be too many things.
the ending was so boring.. nothing even happened?? - Too long for no reason.
- No diversity (barely any POC)
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Sexism, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
laura_crowther's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual assault and Vomit