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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
An interesting commentary on grief, addiction and the struggles of navigating both, or either one. This was a good, reliably paced read. I had trouble connecting to Erin’s loss, which I think could have been helped with a deeper exploration of the group’s forming and relationship dynamics. Overall, I would recommend this. As the sibling of an addict, I would definitely recommend this.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Cannibalism
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this pretty fast but it was more drug and addiction focused than horror, which is what I really wanted to try reading. It explains addiction pretty well but I cannot relate to that and therefore find the story frustrating and (I know this sounds stupid) very unrealistic. I wanted to be scared but instead of just felt disturbed?
Wow! I haven't picked up a horror in a hot second, but I loved every second of this. I picked it up more with the intention of reading it for genre research, but I'm glad I did. I started this yesterday, finished it today, and that's the fastest I've read a novel in a really long time. Even though I did not agree with what the main character was doing, she was constantly in this morally gray state and I couldn't stop turning the page to see what would happen and how she would react to it. That is the core of good storytelling. Not to mention the nuance of how addiction plays out in this thematically (well, maybe not super nuanced, but you get it), and the guilt centered around the sordid pasts of the places we inhabit - be they a haunted house or not. Definitely recommend for horror fans, because the imagery in this book actually did what it should in a horror story, and I do think this opens the door to some very interesting conversations.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
More gross than spooky for me. It makes some interesting statements about addiction, but it kind of goes off the rails in a way that doesn't quite work for me. I'm not sure what's inspiring so much of the fungus horror these days. Maybe candida overgrowth controlling our actions?
This book was something else. There were moments where I wanted to cover my eyes as I was reading. Truly shocking. Not for the faint of heart. Trigger warnings for sure. But the unique look into addiction, mixed with horror/ghost, themes was fascinating. I was still left with questions at the end. Was it or wasn’t it? Not my favorite book but definitely one that I will talk about and think about from time to time. Worth a read if you want something different.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated