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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
jei_reads_sometimes'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
iqlofty'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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Suicide
Minor: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
recordsandlegos'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
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
savvy999'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Minor: Fatphobia and Pregnancy
culpeppper's review against another edition
Audrey is fine, and if I had to choose one perspective to keep out of the three main characters, she's the easy pick. She's got an interesting enough backstory that could probably be better explored, a lot of characters in her personal life that we know a little bit about, and her personality is one that makes you want to root for her. Harper Harper's character is basically rich young hot "celesbian" with some deeper stuff under the surface but even 200 pages in you don't really care about her anyway. She reads like a caricature. Merritt seemingly has no redeeming characteristics that Danforth decides to show us to off-set the general callousness she shows everyone and everything around her, with a dash of self-confidence issues that excuse it all, that makes her the queer not-like-other-girls-girl. We're supposed to be inspired and surprised that she, as a mere 16 year old infant, was able to write a story and it was good. Because of that everything else about her is special, so she can be selfish and not care about others. I'm not saying that all characters can and should be likable, but in a nearly 700 page book, surely you could do without some of that.
The horror/suspense elements don't work, because I didn't care about these characters and the atmospheric storytelling is lacking. The historical timeline would have probably gotten tedious too but that was the only part of the book that had me thinking it would turn around.
Eventually, though, the whole audition scene was what did me in. I felt 0 chemistry between the characters once they were on page, and I genuinely didn't think it was worth pushing through if that was all there was ahead.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Outing
Lots of wasps, dead and alive.steppenfreak'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
haleysversion'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
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Classism
redsflicker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror and Death
Hard to tell when it is “real” for the characters because of hallucinations. Might be a tw for someseaweedmonsterletmego'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
4.25
A couple of the issue that may be a problem for others is the slow read with a passing problem. It is a long novel and the first half of the book drags out a lot of the present timeline while the last quarter seems to move tif you like. If you like solid endings this book won’t be fire you. A lot of the mystery was left unsolved and in a way that (in my opinion, dear Reader) was not executed well and made certain storylines seem unnecessary or less important.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Drug use and Sexual assault
There is a single paragraph near then end of the book that involves sexual assault. The woman was able to escape. One of the characters is doing drugs in every scene he is in. All together that’s about 5 pages. Much of the book describe pretty upsetting deaths that include a lot of physical damage like horrible bruising that causes face deformities.