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pagesandtales's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Cannibalism, Sexual content, and Animal death
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Death of parent
ccerpa's review against another edition
2.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Murder, Medical content, Grief, Gore, Death, Child death, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Blood
danimacuk'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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gore, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Medical content, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Body shaming, and Confinement
kleinekita's review
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Death, Body horror, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Excrement
michaelion'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
4.75
I'm clawing at reasons not to give this 5 stars. The best books leave me speechless in my reviews, and this is one of them despite the fact I do have a lil sum sum to say. There's something about it that left me hovering just under 5 stars. M's section alone is worth 5 stars for sure, but for the others I was like oh this book is a 4.25, 4.5, and then M blew it out the park. I love books that leave me with an empty lingering feeling in the pit of my stomach. What an excellent writer. Such beautiful descriptions. I left this book hungry and enjoyed my meal. As a person with an unhealthy, complicated relationship with food, know that's quite a task. And then the story? W O W . I love when families ❤️ There's truly layers to this. And it was so hard renting this from my li rary it doesn't seem to stay on the shelves, FOR GOOD REASON !!! I WILL be buying it.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Gore, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Animal cruelty, Murder, Animal death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment, Drug use, Confinement, and Medical trauma
ambert'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
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Body horror, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Death of parent
jkneebone'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
3.0
I enjoyed Monstrilio. It wasn't as horror-forward as I anticipated it might be, which for me was a pro, although it was definitely gory. The writing style was simple and thoughtful, what I would call an economy of language. Although I don't always love that style, especially since it's become so prevalent in a certain type of novel, in this case I thought it worked well. I also thought the author's use of different perspectives for each section, and the time gaps between the various sections, was very effective.
The interpersonal dynamics of Monstrilio were quite interesting - I liked watching what each of the characters were willing to do for another character, or for Monstrilio, based on their care for him or their past love for Santiago.
While I thought this was an interesting book, and I'm glad I stepped out of my normal zone to read it, I wasn't amazed or bowled over. It kept my attention, and I liked the interpersonal drama and the mythos of Monstrilio's creation etc., but it's not a book I would plan to reread. If you like books that are horror-adjacent or magical realism, or if you want to read a book about grief, this is one you'll want to pick up.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Violence
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Grief, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cannibalism, and Torture
r_o_s_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Dysphoria, Murder, Ableism, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual content, Vomit, Drug use, Excrement, Physical abuse, and Chronic illness
tifftastic87'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
4.25
Each of these characters is so unique, all dealing with their own issues outside of grief. Magos has a strained relationship with her mother, Lena suffers from severe insomnia and was abused by her own mother, Joseph has some pretty bad depression and Monstrilio, well he's just hungry. Like really hungry.
Honestly, everyone in this book needed therapy.
Currently I'm listening to Pet Sematary and this is kind of like, if Lewis could have brought Gage back but it all worked out.
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Death, Gore, Grief, Animal death, Cannibalism, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual content