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I think the best part of rereading them as an adult especially with these editions is all the author notes written in the margins. I just have to laugh sometimes at her commentary about her own books.
On to reviewing the book: Rose is one of my favorite characters in books and I have grown to judge every FMC against her in my adult life she just made that much of an impact on me. As well as Dimitri he was one of the first "book boyfriends" that stuck with me and a lot over the years have fallen flat in his wake.
I love the relationship between him and Rose. As well as Rose and Lissa. There is so much growth between all of them. Not only in this book but in the entire series and I can't wait to reexperience it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Rape, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying
Minor: Grief, Car accident
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Torture, Blood, Death of parent
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
I’m going to put some of that down to the audio narrator who shouldn’t try for a Russian accent for any reason at all, but a lot of it is down to the writing.
The major issue I take with this book (and I felt the same fifteen years ago), is that the love interest is literally a paedophile. What was it about the 2000s that had YA authors writing about “older guy” love interests like their lives depended on it?
I hated Dimitri Belikov way back when, and I hate him even more now.
This is going to sound extremely bizarre, and perhaps it’s like when Michael Gary Scott imagined a unicorn before he’d ever seen one but hear me out: Before I even knew of the existence of Tommy Wiseau it was Tommy Wiseau who I pictured when I pictured Dimitri. To fifteen year old me that was how much older than seventeen a twenty-four year old looked. Also, how the hell did I do that?
Even after watching the terrible but bingeable TV adaptation where Dimitri is just some British guy who slipped into a sort of Russian accent about twice, I still see Tommy Wiseau when I picture Dimitri Belikov. Just wearing a leather duster coat and fewer belts.
Is it kind of iconic of me to read a book with a love interest who is kind of part vampire, who looks EXACTLY like TOMMY WISEAU, who I believe to be kind of part vampire—it explains a lot about him, just think on it for a minute—when I had never seen or heard of Tommy W? Incredibly. The accent is somewhere in the wheelhouse of what the audiobook performer went with, so why the hell not?
(But my sincerest apologies to Mr. Wiseau for picturing him when I envisioned a child predator in 2009. I know now that he’s just an “American guy” who is so super good at playing “American football” but is probably not a fan of garlic or holy water.
Anyway, this book is bad. Rose is pretty horrible. Dimitri is literally a paedophile. Etc etc etc. How the librarians at my catholic high school snuck this series onto the shelves I’ll never know, but I kind of wish they hadn’t 😬
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal death, Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Car accident
Minor: Death of parent