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kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Title: Patricia Wants to Cuddle
Author: Samantha Allen
Genre: Horror
Rating: 1.50
Pub Date: June 28, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unique • Absurd • Gruesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
On this season of The Catch, contestants must compete for love. And their lives.
When the final four women in competition for an aloof, somewhat sleazy bachelor’s heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest, they prepare themselves for another week of extreme sleep deprivation, invasive interviews, and, of course, the salacious drama eager viewers nationwide tune in to devour. Each woman came on The Catch for her own reasons—brand sponsorships, followers, and, yes, even love—and they’ve all got their eyes steadfastly trained on their respective prizes. Enter Patricia, a temperamental and woefully misunderstood local living alone in the dark, verdant woods, and desperate for connection. Through twists as unexpected as they are wildly entertaining, the self-absorbed cast and jaded crew each make her acquaintance atop the island’s tallest and most desolate peak, finding themselves at the center of an action-packed thriller that is far from scripted—and only a few will make the final cut.
💭 T H O U G H T S
How did this bizarre, satirical, completely outside my comfort zone, novel fall into my hands? Well that's the beauty of online book club events. This is nothing I would have ever picked up on my own accord, but peer pressure is real even in adulthood.
Writing this review is difficult because I don't even know what I read. I was expecting one thing and got something completely different - so I definitely think there was poor marketing of what this book is. The build up through the first half was slow, yet the second half was packed with senseless violence and trying to cover too many different storyline.
I understand Patricia Wants to Cuddle is Samantha Allen's attempt at social commentary through the reality show trope. However, when I finally made it to the end, I was confused because nothing was resolved. It was was one of those books that left me with that 'what the heck' feeling. I am not really sure what I read. One thing I am sure about is I am not the intended audience for this book. While it's hard for me to see myself recommending this to anyone, if you're book club is looking for something that is guaranteed to spark discussion than this would definitely fit the bill.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the reality TV trope
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"By the way, Maggie, quick news flash from the future: we don’t wear socks with Birkenstocks anymore."
"Imagine a world so small that your ego can fill all of it."
Author: Samantha Allen
Genre: Horror
Rating: 1.50
Pub Date: June 28, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unique • Absurd • Gruesome
📖 S Y N O P S I S
On this season of The Catch, contestants must compete for love. And their lives.
When the final four women in competition for an aloof, somewhat sleazy bachelor’s heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest, they prepare themselves for another week of extreme sleep deprivation, invasive interviews, and, of course, the salacious drama eager viewers nationwide tune in to devour. Each woman came on The Catch for her own reasons—brand sponsorships, followers, and, yes, even love—and they’ve all got their eyes steadfastly trained on their respective prizes. Enter Patricia, a temperamental and woefully misunderstood local living alone in the dark, verdant woods, and desperate for connection. Through twists as unexpected as they are wildly entertaining, the self-absorbed cast and jaded crew each make her acquaintance atop the island’s tallest and most desolate peak, finding themselves at the center of an action-packed thriller that is far from scripted—and only a few will make the final cut.
💭 T H O U G H T S
How did this bizarre, satirical, completely outside my comfort zone, novel fall into my hands? Well that's the beauty of online book club events. This is nothing I would have ever picked up on my own accord, but peer pressure is real even in adulthood.
Writing this review is difficult because I don't even know what I read. I was expecting one thing and got something completely different - so I definitely think there was poor marketing of what this book is. The build up through the first half was slow, yet the second half was packed with senseless violence and trying to cover too many different storyline.
I understand Patricia Wants to Cuddle is Samantha Allen's attempt at social commentary through the reality show trope. However, when I finally made it to the end, I was confused because nothing was resolved. It was was one of those books that left me with that 'what the heck' feeling. I am not really sure what I read. One thing I am sure about is I am not the intended audience for this book. While it's hard for me to see myself recommending this to anyone, if you're book club is looking for something that is guaranteed to spark discussion than this would definitely fit the bill.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the reality TV trope
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"By the way, Maggie, quick news flash from the future: we don’t wear socks with Birkenstocks anymore."
"Imagine a world so small that your ego can fill all of it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Gore, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Death, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Racism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Cancer, Animal death, Abortion, Sexual content, and Sexism
the_vegan_bookworm's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I was pretty disappointed by this book. I went it expecting a queer horror story featuring a sasquatch, but I felt like it didn't deliver on any of those points.
The build up is extremely slow with the action not happening until the last 20%. The parody reality show and it's contestants are interesting, but they are not strong enough to make up the entirety of the book's focus.
The queerness is fairly understated and not as prominent as I thought it would be. That is completely fine in general, but I went into this expecting it to be a lot more significant.
I just felt like the book went from endless content about the reality show, to senseless and overly graphic violence, to an abrupt ending. No questions were answered for me. I have no idea why anything happened in the story or what triggered the plot or even what the connections are between the remaining characters. For some books, the unexplained ending is done in a way to keep you thinking. For this book, given the absence of answers about anything else, it just left me feeling lost and disinterested.
The build up is extremely slow with the action not happening until the last 20%. The parody reality show and it's contestants are interesting, but they are not strong enough to make up the entirety of the book's focus.
The queerness is fairly understated and not as prominent as I thought it would be. That is completely fine in general, but I went into this expecting it to be a lot more significant.
I just felt like the book went from endless content about the reality show, to senseless and overly graphic violence, to an abrupt ending. No questions were answered for me. I have no idea why anything happened in the story or what triggered the plot or even what the connections are between the remaining characters. For some books, the unexplained ending is done in a way to keep you thinking. For this book, given the absence of answers about anything else, it just left me feeling lost and disinterested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Blood, Animal death, Cursing, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Car accident
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Cancer and Racism
shayminxcx's review against another edition
funny
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
4.5
This book was really fun and a worthwhile read. I had a great time with it , especially as a lover of overproduced reality tv. It was quite short yet the pace was perfect and it didn’t lag or feel too rushed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Lesbophobia and Vomit
megj23's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Vomit and Cancer
hannahpings's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
picked up patricia because i wanted to read the book the cover blurbs were raving about. i still want to read that book. this is not that book.
self-indulgent and dragging first and second acts are so caught up in the characters, complexes, and institutions they're lampooning that they end up almost as vapid and certainly as weightless. satire requires clarity of purpose and target etc etc
was originally going to give this a 2.5, but a satisfying—if unearned, and unsubstantiated—third act brought it up a bit.
ultimately, i can't help but feel like this is a book that's begging to get picked up for a movie deal, which would probably be the best fate for it. it'd certainly make a better (clearer, better constructed, more precise) movie than it does a novel.
self-indulgent and dragging first and second acts are so caught up in the characters, complexes, and institutions they're lampooning that they end up almost as vapid and certainly as weightless. satire requires clarity of purpose and target etc etc
was originally going to give this a 2.5, but a satisfying—if unearned, and unsubstantiated—third act brought it up a bit.
ultimately, i can't help but feel like this is a book that's begging to get picked up for a movie deal, which would probably be the best fate for it. it'd certainly make a better (clearer, better constructed, more precise) movie than it does a novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Addiction, Body horror, Car accident, Death, Violence, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Abortion
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
page_28's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Super weird and fun. Pretty quick read. Great rep of queer community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Vomit
jht5791's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Alcoholism
carbinara's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Loved this book sm! Had expected it to be more horror than satire and felt the horror lacked a tiny bit, but everything else made up for it. Such a fun, strange little book and haven’t read anything like it. This was really the perfect reading experience. It was fast paced, funny and strange enough to make it a memorable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Biphobia, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Abortion and Biphobia
lianne_rooney's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Abortion
jry's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, Abortion, Suicide, and Vomit