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cadence_e'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
3.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Death, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
3.25
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Sexual content, Death, and Blood
imskylow's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Murder, and Infidelity
thegayestghost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Body horror, and Infidelity
mogojojo1013'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
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Blood, Confinement, Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Sexual content
crybabybea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you dislike melodramatic writing, you will probably roll your eyes, but I ate it uppp. Here's an example of one of my many favorite quotes:
Don’t ask me why I did it.
I was tired of being your Mary Magdalene. I was tired of waiting expectantly at your tomb every night for you to rise and bring light into my world once again. I was tired of groveling on my knees and washing blood off your heels with my hair and tears. I was tired of having the air sucked out of my lungs every time your eyes cut right to the heart of me. I was tired of the circumference of the whole universe living in your circled arms, of the spark of life hiding in your kiss, of the power of death lying in wait in your teeth. I was tired of carrying around the weight of a love like worship, of the sickly-warm rush of idolatry coloring my whole world.
I was tired of faithfulness.
I made you into my private Christ, supplicated with my own dark devotions. Nothing existed beyond the range of your exacting gaze, not even me. I was simply a non-entity when you weren’t looking at me, an empty vessel waiting to be filled by the sweet water of your attention.
A woman can’t live like that, my lord. No one can. Don’t ask me why I did it.
God, forgive me.
Christ, forgive me.
There isn't much in terms of a plot since it heavily focuses on Constanta and her relationships with Dracula and his other consorts. Because Dracula is controlling and hides as much as he can from the characters, there isn't much in terms of world-building and it's not the kind of book that explores vampiric power. It isn't a fun paranormal book with thrilling twists and magical settings.
Instead, the author takes us through Constanta's struggles in an abusive, coercive relationship, which fits perfectly in the gothic world she sets up for us. The writing is strung along with confusion, like you know something isn't right but you almost want to convince yourself that you're reading too much into things and seeing things that aren't there. I think it's such a brilliant way to portray a relationship like this, filled with constant gaslighting, walking on eggshells, fear and anxiety. It's a bittersweet journey to take as you watch Constanta swing from devotion to terror so quickly, and the way she is programmed by her abuser's behavior to watch for every tiny micro expression and hidden meaning behind every word he speaks, until the very end when after centuries of abuse she snaps and determines to find her way out.
The way the novel is written is super unique as well, an epistolary story written in second-person perspective. Constanta details her life in letters addressed to her abuser in hopes of explaining why she felt she had to make the choices she made.
I found the ending brilliant and incredibly accurate to what it feels like to finally cut yourself loose from an abuser; it's not only full of rage and hatred but also love and grief, and as much as you are grieving the glimpses of happiness you found during your abuse, you grieve the life you could have had, the years wasted, the confusion and the intoxication of adoration and passion mixed with hatred and anger. I really loved this portrayal so much.
The novel does include sexual content, but I didn't find the sex scenes to be about pleasuring the reader like typical smut scenes do. To me, they served to depict the intense passion wrapped up in all of the character's lives, the way they clung to each other and the way they defined love for themselves in a space that was suffocating and controlling. The codependency and the way they loved each other like family made the scenes feel less sexually gratifying and more for the purpose of storytelling and furthering the bonds between the characters.
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Murder, Body horror, Grief, and Physical abuse
Heavy depictions of gaslighting and abuse. One of the main characters experiences severe mental illness due to the abuse which results in her developing a pattern of depression/mania.straw_hat_kd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood and Sexual content
Moderate: Gore
catletterer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book may be short but it’s the kind of gothic, horror, romance that I can’t help but consume in one sitting. Obsessed.
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Murder
mals_library's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Physical abuse
sleepygym's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gore and Emotional abuse