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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[virginia voice] "u are so unserious"
this was something. a whole ride. my stream of consciousness was like...perverse glee club...virginia strauss is my sleep paralysis demon...laura get up...what does sclerotic mean (i forgot already)...teenagers are vile and dramatic...evil new directions be like...boys are scum...evil warblers be like...laura GET UP. a recipe for a DNF tbh...yet i DF?! and because i wanted to!?
it's true you'd be hard-pressed to find redeeming qualities in most of these characters - and the fact that they're 17-18 makes them extra pretentious - but i think it'd be a very different book if they were older and actually likable. and i liked it exactly how it was, unpleasant teens and all, or else i feel what the premise promised (queer desire! religious zealotry! hunger for transcendence!) couldn't have been delivered as well otherwise. no combo scarier/more fascinating than agency and an undeveloped prefrontal cortex.
i was totally engrossed by the latter half of the book, it kinda turned into a mystery. i ate up the who/why/howdunitism. licked the plate clean, in fact. i was gasping. clutching my pearls. going "they couldn't have!"..."they did!"...oh lord...
anyway i was gonna give this a 4-4.5 but realised that's me being stingy actually?? this is literally the longest review i've ever written so far? i rarely type more than like 30 words at a time. this is a big deal
this was something. a whole ride. my stream of consciousness was like...perverse glee club...virginia strauss is my sleep paralysis demon...laura get up...what does sclerotic mean (i forgot already)...teenagers are vile and dramatic...evil new directions be like...boys are scum...evil warblers be like...laura GET UP. a recipe for a DNF tbh...yet i DF?! and because i wanted to!?
it's true you'd be hard-pressed to find redeeming qualities in most of these characters - and the fact that they're 17-18 makes them extra pretentious - but i think it'd be a very different book if they were older and actually likable. and i liked it exactly how it was, unpleasant teens and all, or else i feel what the premise promised (queer desire! religious zealotry! hunger for transcendence!) couldn't have been delivered as well otherwise. no combo scarier/more fascinating than agency and an undeveloped prefrontal cortex.
i was totally engrossed by the latter half of the book, it kinda turned into a mystery. i ate up the who/why/howdunitism. licked the plate clean, in fact. i was gasping. clutching my pearls. going "they couldn't have!"..."they did!"...oh lord...
anyway i was gonna give this a 4-4.5 but realised that's me being stingy actually?? this is literally the longest review i've ever written so far? i rarely type more than like 30 words at a time. this is a big deal
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There's something about reading from the perspective of a character who is so desperate and obsessive that makes me feel very connected to all the worst parts of myself. I'm still trying to decide if it's comforting or upsetting (probably both)
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Damn. I'm not even sure how to review this book. It's complex and full of gritty characters that you like and dislike, usually at the same time. And that ending? Left me staring at the page for a couple minutes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's complicated.
As I said to a friend, "This is heavy. This is dark. This is so good."
As I said to a friend, "This is heavy. This is dark. This is so good."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Toxic friendship
Minor: Eating disorder