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henrygravesprince'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: Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Mass/school shootings, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, and Gore
petite_madeline's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I initially picked up this book because I saw people tagging it as dark academia and I was excited to finally see some diverse representation in the dark academia niche! This story takes place at a private school with themes of death/mystery, and there are setting descriptions that definitely fall in line with DA vibes. However I think that this book would also be enjoyable to people who love paranormal and/or queer horror.
This book ended up being way more intense and thematically heavy than I was expecting from YA, but I loved it! These are important conversations that need to be had: Black/queer intersectionality, gun violence in schools, gender norms/toxic masculinity, family acceptance/support, ancestral connections. It's a short book but there's so much packed in these pages!
Aside from the literary themes, Douglass also included beautifully descriptive and cinematic scenes that pull readers into a thoughtfully built paranormal world. Unfortunately, I struggle with slight aphantasia, meaning I have trouble creating mental images, so I ended up a bit lost during these highly visual scenes. I am jealous of anyone with a strong "mind's eye" who can thoroughly enjoy the detailed world that Douglass created.
The trigger warnings listed below may spoil some elements of the story, but please read if you may be sensitive to some of these potential triggers.
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Heavy trigger warnings for: Racism, homophobia, mass shootings, graphic violence, suicide, incest (attempted), sexual assault (attempted), child abuse (physical and emotional), animal abuse (bugs), fire
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Death, Racism, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
torla'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: Animal cruelty, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Gun violence
Moderate: Classism, Slavery, Child abuse, Ableism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
evelynyle_88'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: Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Racism, Bullying, and Homophobia
Moderate: Death, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide
Minor: Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, and Gore
I love that I decided to change my edition of this book to audiobook. From dnf list, to finished. The Taking of Jake Livingston took my breath away. I love every second of it. This book was triggering for me but it is indeed a good book. I can't imagine if myself is Jake; being a medium. I love how creepy every chapter were. Thank you for the story, Ryan! You are brilliant!jackiie's review
- 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: Homophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Stalking, Car accident, Child abuse, Outing, Violence, Suicide, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Drug use
asinglebird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Gore, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
pineapple_queen'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? It's complicated
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, and Racism
sarah_shelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I also found Sawyer’s chapters so incredibly uncomfortable. That’s on purpose. He’s the antagonist of the story and no matter what happened in his life, he’s still a mass shooter. I struggle with storylines connected to these kind of strategies to begin with, but being in his head and listening to him (since I borrowed the audiobook) was very distressing. I know the backstory is giving the character nuance and explaining how he became what he is — even acknowledging that the people in his life were terrible people. But I could’ve done without it.
Both of those things made it hard for me to enjoy this book more. But my thoughts weren’t all negative. I did really enjoy listening to Jake’s journey as he learns to accept who he is, stand up for himself, and be confident in his abilities. The exploration of dead world and the ghost fights were super cool! I loved how Jake and River were able to help each other conquer their (metaphorical and literal) demons. And Jake’s happy ending with Allister at the end was very sweet.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Racism, Gun violence, Homophobia, Child abuse, Murder, and Bullying
Moderate: Suicide, Death, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Gore, Animal cruelty, and Domestic abuse
Attempted sexual assault Torture of bugs POV of mass/school shooter (not during event)ess_x's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Racism
allisonsmith120's review
1.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Racism, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Animal cruelty, Murder, Self harm, Blood, Child death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racial slurs, Car accident, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault