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writingcaia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I’m still processing but this was a brilliant, beautifully writen and crafted, intriguing, and gory story.
The characters are strong and alive, although not always likeable.
Though grief is a big theme of the book, I found that parenthood- protecting your child no matter how monstrous they are, loving them, understanding them, and setting them free no matter how hard- is the biggest of all. The idea of “monster” is very aligned with odd, strange, not necessarily evil which is something to debate as well, the same with dealing with the consequences of the actions taken due to trauma and denial.
There’re many touching moments, with M particularly, tears threatened to fall.
Overall, it was really a great one to read, and a story I won’t forget and will likely get back to on and off for the foreseeable future.
The characters are strong and alive, although not always likeable.
Though grief is a big theme of the book, I found that parenthood- protecting your child no matter how monstrous they are, loving them, understanding them, and setting them free no matter how hard- is the biggest of all. The idea of “monster” is very aligned with odd, strange, not necessarily evil which is something to debate as well, the same with dealing with the consequences of the actions taken due to trauma and denial.
There’re many touching moments, with M particularly, tears threatened to fall.
Overall, it was really a great one to read, and a story I won’t forget and will likely get back to on and off for the foreseeable future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Cannibalism
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Alcohol
za_hra's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A book which teaches us that you cannot bring back the dead or replaced the ones that you’ve lost. Not matter how much you love someone you also cannot change who they are. The first two sections written from the POV of Magos and Lena I didn’t enjoy as much as the final two from Joe and M’s POV. I found Magos unlikeable and almost child like in her narration. Lena, I wasn’t sure what the point was about her not being able to sleep but Joe I understood and despite his willing ignorance of who M really was, I didn't find it as frustrating as Magos' delusion of who M really was. M’s section was the best. Despite demonstrably being a monster he doesn’t feel like one and you want him to be free. At some points the story felt rushed like the plot was being progressed quite significantly in a matter of sentences but for a debut novel it's good. Would've given 4 stars had the first two sections been more enjoyable for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Grief, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
snowman's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- 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
3.5
Loved the start of the story it dives into how different people deals with grief and the lost of someone they loved. I really like how Magos think she'snot actually grieving but us the reader can clearly see her desperation for keeping the idea of her son alive how she fought so hard for it, to the point of hurting M in vein of making him more Santiago like, i also love/hate (yup complicated relation) how at the end she did accept that eme was a seperate person that he is not Santiago, even though it was after she did a-in my opinion- mean art piece infront of him that triggered him enough to run away and set free. Now for joe I love how his grief is portrayed at the start he doesn'tknow what to feel when to feel he just feels everything, i love how he fought for M to stay as M but there is a hidden part of him that wants him as Santiagoeven to the end when he kept pushing M to act like a nkrmal human, believingnowishing and hoping his hunger will eb away but alas. M or Eme breaks my heart soecially in the last chapter where we see his inner thoughts his battle how he really tries to hide how he trully feel and how he try so hard to keep his promisses and to be normal to become what his parents want forget himself and become santiago at the end he does chooses himself and I love that but I really think that it would have made more sense for how the book was progressing if he commited s-uicide driven mad by his hunger and the fighting with it the want to please his father so match and fit in societal rules.
Overall I really liked the book specially since it's a debute novel some parts of it were rushed(M decision to run away, Magos being nice and accepting Eme to name a few) but the writing was great made it easy to read through the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, and Grief
lindsaylhunter's review against another edition
I have no idea why I'm not clicking with this book. I'd been waiting for it to be released for so long, which I normally don't get like for books. It feels unnatural to be throwing in the towel, especially when I can't pinpoint the reason why.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
rmperezpadilla's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Grief
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Death of parent
pretentiouslyemely's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
[12:56pm]
a beautiful meditation on grief and how suffocating blending into social norm can be... eddings project 2024 you will always be famous.
--- vague spoilers ahead
once M begins to develop into an adult and his urges bleed into his sexual relationships, the writing reaches a level of gruesome that feels intrusive in a way that you can't look away. his journey from a lung into M/Monstrilio is tragic and beautiful. each stage of his life is essential to understanding both him and the grief felt by his parents.
because this is part of my grant project, i've grown to be a magos defender, or at least a magos sympathizer. she didn't understand her grief at the time. the lung became hers. she protected it and nurtured it until it grew. she was never given an avenue to properly grieve, she just added fantasy into her life to avoid the brutal reality she was face with.
JOE <333
a beautiful meditation on grief and how suffocating blending into social norm can be... eddings project 2024 you will always be famous.
--- vague spoilers ahead
once M begins to develop into an adult and his urges bleed into his sexual relationships, the writing reaches a level of gruesome that feels intrusive in a way that you can't look away. his journey from a lung into M/Monstrilio is tragic and beautiful. each stage of his life is essential to understanding both him and the grief felt by his parents.
because this is part of my grant project, i've grown to be a magos defender, or at least a magos sympathizer. she didn't understand her grief at the time. the lung became hers. she protected it and nurtured it until it grew. she was never given an avenue to properly grieve, she just added fantasy into her life to avoid the brutal reality she was face with.
JOE <333
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Grief
lowercasejasmine's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
spoilerless version: i did not see this as horror, rather a book about selfishness and how innate that is to any living creature. about grief and rationality and how sometimes those two can't coexist.
"Monstrilio is wild. If you loved him, you wouldn't want to change him."
[keep in mind i started writing this review at 0500 AT WORK so it's a mess. i hated them so much (magos joseph and lena) when they removed monstrilio's arm-tail. i had to pause and make a note in my kindle because i was so mad. i get WHY they did it (not that i ever agreed) but i will never forget sitting in front of the healing garden at the hospital, in a rocking chair reading this book, and just hating them so much.
i ride for monstrilio/m and only him! he worked so hard to control his hunger... even when he couldn't understand why he had to. he filed his fangs, didn't ask for more dinner, shaved his forehead patch, mourned his arm-tail, moved cross-continental and it felt like his only motive was because he loved the family that allowed him to exist. i feel like had his parents properly mourned for santiago and addressed their grief, they would have never had to set M up for so much of his own grief and pain. how he had to live with santiago's memories...overhearing how they compared them... IT WANSNT FAIR
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Grief
zacktreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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
3.75
Enjoyed the writing style and the horror elements throughout. The changes in time/location/narration perspective tripped me up at a couple points and some threads were left that I would’ve liked to hear more about.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual violence and Medical content
heyphaora's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
lecheeese's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder