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vulcandropout's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
2.0
This series did a number on me. It is one of the only novels I have actually been able to read and I enjoyed it so much I overlooked so many things it did not prepare me for when I recently rented an audiobook of it. Jason Pargin uses slurs ALOT. For fun. Racist carcicatures also. This was my favorite book for so long I followed closely for less than a year. Coming across his article complaining about the lack of racial slurs in bioshock infinite ruining the expierence. His reasoning being that it was important for the time period. I dont see the excuse for what he did in this book. I also have only finished this one and the second book a long time ago in which every brown person dies or is dead already. What was the resson? WHt WAS THE REASON? BItch? I have been unphased about his alias choice forawhile but knowing that his alias is how he found out racism exists along with everything else. I have struggled to find any book that could have me react the way I did for so long and somehow my brain not even registering the bad things so I could let it make me happy for a brief period of time. Im just reallly sad and exhausted I was so excited to finally get a copy of this again just to now not have a favorite book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Racism, Racial slurs, and Drug abuse
Minor: Ableism
caseyf's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Racial slurs and Suicidal thoughts
bubblescotch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Fascinating in theory, frustrating in execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Body horror, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism
snali's review against another edition
Too many slurs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Started off really fun and enjoyed it. But the author uses too many slurs and it made me not want to finish the book.simplythegirl's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Definitely hasn't aged well. The racist slurs are really off putting I know it was a different time back in 2007 but it's still uncomfortable especially since I listened to the audiobook. The book is really tense and the descriptions are great. I do wish there were more female characters it's pretty lame the women get shafted. I really love the funny moments but I think the characters are overdone and stereotypical. Is that the point? The characters are like stereotypical white guys. It's also off putting that the african american people get shafted too. Not to mention the only presumanly latina character is hypersexualized and thrown away never to be seen again when romance with a main character doesn't work out. . Robert one of the few African American characters is the stereotypical drug dealer type and who is involved with ending the world and "Morgan Freeman" an African American detective/cop of course dies early on. Then a journalist dies. The only survivors are the white characters obviously. Yes lots of characters die in general but not even one survivor is a person of color? Come on
One of the characters was in the special education class and casually called the r word repeatedly. Her health is made fun of too. Women are higly sexualized with little to no personality.
The representation in this book is terrible. Some good things in the book but it is definitely annoying and gross.
One of the characters was in the special education class and casually called the r word repeatedly. Her health is made fun of too. Women are higly sexualized with little to no personality.
The representation in this book is terrible. Some good things in the book but it is definitely annoying and gross.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Bullying
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Murder
amradio's review against another edition
Got like 30% of the book read and dropped it
Didn't think I'd want to drop a book and yet here we are
I swore I liked the movie but maybe I'm misremembering
The book is honestly nonsensical trash and that's saying something as someone who like the tv show 12 oz mouse
Just every -ism in a book and unlikeable characters I wasn't about to force myself to finish
Didn't think I'd want to drop a book and yet here we are
I swore I liked the movie but maybe I'm misremembering
The book is honestly nonsensical trash and that's saying something as someone who like the tv show 12 oz mouse
Just every -ism in a book and unlikeable characters I wasn't about to force myself to finish
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Racial slurs
finbun's review
This book made me so upset because it would have been such a good read if the author didn't feel the need to fill every other page with either slurs or the weirdest things to say about women. "But its the main characters thoughts!! that's part of his characterization blah blah-" We literally understand the characters mindset pretty early on from the rest of the heavy-handed context clues offered. It just wasn't needed and made it pretty unenjoyable, and I was so ready to love this book :/ just disappointing
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Ableism, and Racism
robinsversion's review against another edition
2.0
Damn it has to have been a while since I’ve read this since I don’t remember the blatant uses of the r-slur and n-word (and this being written by a white man, mind you). Definitely the last time I’m reading this book cuz it was definitely a slog to get through this time. Guess I changed too much since I last read it since it used to be one of my favorites.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Ableism
cervine_cunt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death, Animal death, and Cursing
Moderate: Racial slurs, Ableism, and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Mass/school shootings, Excrement, and Blood
acwhite's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I first read this book around 2010 & had fond memories of the thrilling fever dream it is. So revisiting it in 2022 I was surprised to find my brain had edited out some choice language. I had no recollection of the excessive use of r*tard and occasional drops of the n word and f*g. Some of this language can be attributed to the book starting as a blog in the early 2000s but it still put a slight stain on the reread for me.
I’m rating it so middling for the aforementioned language but also because the pacing was rough. Again I think we can blame the blog origins, the whole business seems like three novellas in a trench coat masquerading as a full novel. But I still came out the end having enjoyed it.
The last third is the strongest part of the book in my opinion, Amy is a crucial character and “David” having a slightly different tone improved things.
I have the whole quartet and do intend to read them all.
I’m rating it so middling for the aforementioned language but also because the pacing was rough. Again I think we can blame the blog origins, the whole business seems like three novellas in a trench coat masquerading as a full novel. But I still came out the end having enjoyed it.
The last third is the strongest part of the book in my opinion, Amy is a crucial character and “David” having a slightly different tone improved things.
I have the whole quartet and do intend to read them all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Excrement, Gore, Racial slurs, and Drug use
Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault