Reviews with content warning for Violence - We Ate the Dark

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson

7 reviews

cjeannette's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense slow-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

I really wanted to like this book - it’s a gothic horror with thrilling elements, a women forward cast with diverse identities. And I just couldn’t get into it. I kept hoping for more each chapter so I kept reading but often found myself confused or lost in the writing.

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sovner736's review

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dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book, I thought it was easy to read and I loved the way the relationship between the characters was depicted. However, the final act of the book was extremely hard to understand with too many overlapping plots and an ending that was so dissatifying. It feels like the author was unsure of how she wanted to end the story and just kind of spilled all her ideas onto the page.

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nixkelley's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

I received an ELC of this book from the author via NetGalley as we are mutuals on bookstagram❤️

I am delighted to have finally read We Ate The Dark— it feels like forever ago and yesterday that the publication announcement was made! I always have said I’m not a horror person, but that was before I discovered queer horror. Now I think it’s one of my favourite genres.

I loved the setting of the story, and I could feel the muggy North Carolina summer even though it’s the dead of winter in Canada right now. I felt like I could smell the damp earth, hear the cicadas buzzing, it was so immersive. The prose was dynamic and deeply descriptive, positively overflowing with metaphor and emotion. The characters felt real and complicated and super messy.

I feel like if you like the Raven Cycle, but wish it was sapphic, this is the perfect book for you. I think I’m still processing that ending (cause like wtf) and maybe need to read it again because I’m not sure I really got / understood what happened in the last few climactic scenes.

My #1 complaint about the book is that I don’t think I really connected with the audiobook narrator. I’m not sure if it was an accent thing but the word “skull” was always pronounced like “scoll” and it took me out of the story every time!!!

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sarah_mcmullan_nz's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.0

Lyrical but sometimes confusing.
I'm not 100% sure I fully followed the details of the story but I got the general idea. I liked the lyrical language and the imagery painted. Also the way aspects of wicca and folklore were woven in. Interesting though occasionally frustrating.

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savvylit's review

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dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

We Ate the Dark is an impressive debut from a new author to watch! The characters in this novel are written incredibly well. Each protagonist is palpable, nuanced, and impossible not to love. We Ate the Dark is a delightful blend of horror, fantasy, and mystery with so much heart. But this book is also much, much more. It's a celebration of witchiness. It's an ode to enduring friendships. It's an exploration of queer identity and romance in a rural setting. And most of all, We Ate The Dark is about the love between members of a chosen family.

To read We Ate the Dark is to gradually fall in love with Frankie, Poppy, Cass, Marya, and Finder. Pearson has created a world that I genuinely couldn't look away from. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

Thank you so much @lesbrarycard and @netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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ladyinverse's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I was able to read this eARC thanks to the author directly and i immensely thank her for the opportunity to read it early and thusly my opinion is freely given.

sapphic? Southern Gothic?? folklore horror????

sign me the f up.

I absolutely loved this book. I got a bit confused sometimes trying to keep up with the multiple narratives and who was who but really, it wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the big bad of the book and the way it tapers off at the end I can definitely see a second book on the horizon and I will definitely be there first in line for that book as well.

the characters are believable and charming, but also aggravating in their flaws which just makes them more loveable imo.

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