Scan barcode
leahrosiee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexism, Addiction, Blood, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Child death
Moderate: Infidelity, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Torture
Minor: Abandonment and Self harm
katrinasherise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder and Fatphobia
Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Classism, and Infidelity
One character is a serial rapist. No rape happens in the book but is mentioned during his chapters. One character is FREQUENTLY described in fat phobic descriptors. The story is about murder and several occur including descriptions, blood, guns, drowning, injury, stabbing, etc. lots of drug and alcohol use. Description of a child’s murder. Things that will really spoil the ending/reveals:spookily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Torture, Medical content, and Rape
lizardqueen510'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Murder, Gun violence, Gore, Child death, Violence, Torture, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity
Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Grief
sarahcherie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Violence, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Murder, Death, Drug use, and Suicide
liz_ross's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
And the characters! Oh, the characters! This is a freaking masterpiece when it comes to characters. Complex, individual, unique, realistic. Imperfect perfection, just how all characters should be. Aiden is 8 diferent persons and yet every single one of them is unique. And so is Aiden. They are the same person and different persons at the same time and the way Turtpn managed to make that clear is extraordinary.
It was all that. But it was also disappoiting in so many ways. I was so scared of how Turton would explain the whole thing, I didn't have time to worry about the ending. Worse, I was even excited to read it, because I never thought it could be bad. Turns out, Turton pulled out a pretty reasonable explanation for everything (which proves how talented he is), but failed to deliever a satisfying ending. The complexity of the characters, the real ones (?), is something I can't help but appreciate. However, the way they got redemption? That's not right; I can't accept that. It's an easy way out, it's giving up.
It took away so much of the joy I felt. The plot was so good; so perfect; a delicious, intricate web of lies, conspiracies and murders that had everything to delight me. I guessed some of the plot twists, while others made my jaw drop. Literally. And I loved it. And hated it (but in a good way). And I was so happy and then... that. And I just can't forgive that ending, I just can't forgive Turton for how insatisfactory that ending was for such a great book. He had given me a satisfactory explanation and after that ending I was left wanting more, needing more answers, because what made a little sense ended up making no sense at all, because Turton overcomplicated something that was already complicated on its own. And then there's the second chances. I can't accept them too. I can't because no matter how much I believe in second chances, I can't accept them if they happen as Turton made them. It's wrong. It's not redemption, it's not a second chance. It's not right, especially not after everything that happened in the book.
I want to forget the ending so badly, to rate this book solely based on all the rest. It would have been so close of the 5 stars that way. But I can't. I can't let go, I can't forget the ending just because I don't like it. I wish I could, but it wouldn't be right. And it breaks my heart more than anything that happened in the book (and trust me, there was a certain part that truly broke my heart).
Full review coming soon!
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Fire/Fire injury
lucyselim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Ableism, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gun violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Infidelity, Fatphobia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Medical content
dustghosts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
+ Satisfyingly cyclical, repetitive but full of just the right twists and turns that you want to keep reading to figure out what the exact same scene and setup looks like through a different set of eyes
+ Super exciting exploration and expansion of how to use POV to invoke emotion, tell a thrilling story, and string everything together
+ A very charming cast of absolutely unbearable little bastards; feels like you gain an evolving and empathetic understanding of each character with each new day
- Some really egregious fatphobia that feels uncomfortable and gross to read, especially for a contemporary book. Not really skippable, either— while this character has other values to the narrative, fatness is treated as a debilitating moral failing reflective of character.
- So extremely British—
- Near the end, starts to feel as though things are being wrapped up too quickly, not quite as immersive as the rest of the book.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Addiction, Classism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Rape, Vomit, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
nicoles_reading_corner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Stalking, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, and Drug use
maddox22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault