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voicenextdoor'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: Suicide, Bullying, Violence, Confinement, Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, Murder, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Emotional abuse
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
But in all seriousness this was really good. Despite the “Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies” description, I didn’t find it necessarily frightening as much as I just found it really… upsetting? Tragic? The relationship between Father Andrew and Peter was so endearing, but I also appreciated how Andrew’s character—objectively the best of the priests—is not perfect (I mean, he’s complicit in child abuse).
Peter’s internal struggle the entire book with whether or not to become a priest himself serves as such a good sort-of backdrop to the rest of the story and his role in it as well. I just really liked Peter’s character, and even though I’m not a person of faith, I found his story really moving.
If you like horror that explores religious themes, this is right up your alley.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Chronic illness
kou_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault
intotheheartwyld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Graphic: Animal death and Child death
ripxw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Murder
Minor: Confinement
mafaichney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death and Child abuse
Minor: Animal death
teaandtales1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: The St. Vincent's Orphanage houses 30 boys and is run by a small group of priests. There they live an impoverished and strict life under the constant supervision of Father Poole and his henchman Brother Johnson. An already rough situation is made worse when an injured man is brought to the priests by the local sheriff in the middle of the night. To their horror, the man, covered in occult symbols and making sounds no human should make, unleashes something terrible in the orphanage.
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 335
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: Absolutely
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭: no, but considering they're at an orphanage for boys, that makes sense
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝: early 1900s
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is absolutely tremendous and one of my favorites of the year. It is written in multiple POVs, giving an intimate glimpse in the life of many of the boys (and a few adults) before the chaos begins. Due to this style, you really grow to love many of the characters, which is almost unfortunate as none of them are safe.
Possession and demonic novels always tend to be the scariest stories to me, but throwing it into a group of children is a dramatic and effective move. Fracassi is excellent here, and this will be a long favorite of mine.
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury
cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: St. Vincent’s Orphanage for Boys, rural Pennsylvania, turn of the century, winter.
𝟓-𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies (I did not come up with this, so saw it online)
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: Late at night a group of men arrive at this orphanage, which houses roughly 30 boys and is run by Catholic priests. One of the late night arrivals is badly injured, with occult symbols carved into his body and something evil carved into his soul. When he dies, that evil does not die with him but is instead released on the orphanage. Chaos and horror ensue.
If you’re into scary reads I highly recommend this one, but do check trigger warnings.
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
sylvestra'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: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal death, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement and Cursing
natashaleighton_'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Violence, Bullying, and Animal death
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Torture