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marleysclassics's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Because, though it might seem strange, in my opinion one of the best parts of this book was the developments of the characters in terms of likability. I liked all of them as I didn‘t know them at all and with every page I read I began to detest every one of them a little more. While I wouldn‘t call every single person of in this book a bad person, some certainly are. And I was so here for it, because it felt like hating them more meant understanding them more.
If you want to read this book because of the vibes - definitely. They‘re there, yet I wouldn‘t expect too much of the academia and a little more of the dark aspect. Not to say that academia isn‘t a reoccurring theme, because it is, but there really aren‘t that many lessons or anything. It‘s more about the whole setting, and the motives of the characters yet in a more abstract way.
I also loved the writing, because it is beautiful and meaningful and often SO pretentious - and it knows it is and it‘s okay because it romanticises and critiques its own style and contents at the same time. (I actually think that‘s the essence of the whole dark academia genre.) I flew through the pages, and especially the first part of the novel was SO addictive. You know what‘s going to happen from page one and still you become more interested with every page. And sometimes you can‘t even tell what draws you too the pages, yet there is something. Unfortunately, this lacked a bit in the second half. Especially towards the end, there were some parts which really grabbed me, but there were also long passages which I wasn‘t interested in. At some point, this narrative just turns into a fever dream/nightmare/sequence of drug abuse, and partly this became a tiring. But also not entirely.
In the end, I‘m pretty sure I‘ll have to read this again.
P.S.: I never answered the question „Are the flaws of the main character(s) a main focus of the book?“ more confidently.
And now I‘ll put this book in my shelf right next to The Picture of Dorian Gray
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Car accident
justaddwater's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment
startjpw23's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity
tpsebast92's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Incest, Racism, and Suicide attempt
readwithsophsx's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
clemencepct's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism and Blood
Minor: Homophobia and Suicide attempt
kirstenpod_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Homophobia and Incest
saroreen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder
colittle's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing
jaynovara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt