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careinthelibrary's review against another edition
2.5
I struggled with how slow the first half was. It was slowly building to something, but I was impatient to get into the horrific and the shocking. It deals with some heavy topics like post-partum mental health, Indigenous motherhood being intensely scrutinized, MMIWG2S, and academia's fascination and appropriation of Indigenous knowledge and stories.
The second half really takes off and I was both *here for it* and also very confused. It is full of twists and turns and definitely held my attention as its pacing sped up. Those topics that were introduced in the first half fall to the wayside a bit in exchange for gory body horror.
The book jumps from domestic fiction with a graphic, horror twist to a confusing sci-fi conclusion. I wish it had kept its horror genre throughout and maintained its clear message because I felt the last 10% fizzled out. I'm not quite sure where it leaves the protagonist and her family.
I can feel the influence of Cherie Dimaline in And Then She Fell's dark, urban fantasy vibes and fans of her work will want to check this out.
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, Blood, Drug abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Child death, Child abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
bookishcori's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation
readingwithkaitlyn'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Genocide, Vomit, Addiction, Death of parent, Classism, and Death
Minor: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Car accident, Bullying, Self harm, Confinement, Suicide, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Police brutality, and War
Mention of MMIWG2S, residential schools.caseythereader'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? Yes
4.25
- AND THEN SHE FELL is what I might categorize as literary horror. Elliott blends a variety of types of horror - of motherhood, of racism, of literal monsters and voices in your head - into an incredible tapestry of a book.
- Much of this book is built on the tension of Alice (and the reader) trying to sort out if the things she's experiencing are real, or if she's losing her mind. But something happens in the last few chapters that takes everything to a whole new level. I was reading with my mouth open, not wanting it to end.
- The more I think on this book, the more layers I find in it. I hope you'll seek it out, even if you aren't typically a horror reader.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Blood, Racism, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Ableism, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Abortion