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bree_h_reads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, and Cursing
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child abuse
klbreyfogle'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
4.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia
aurora4847's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Car accident, Racism, and Hate crime
A main character is in the foster system. There is blood and non-descriptive animal death for ritual purposes. A main character is grieving the loss of their parent, which has strained their relationship with their other parent. A main character is confined to a house with an individual trying (sometimes violently) to keep them there.chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Dysphoria, Abandonment, and Confinement
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Child abuse
Minor: Racism, Cursing, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
imstephtacular's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Abandonment, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Murder, Grief, Homophobia, and Violence
kateh0321'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
4.0
Genre: YA Fiction/Horror
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a very enjoyable read! The three POVs kept the story moving nicely without any confusion and each character was well-written and thought out. This book touched on hard subjects such as growing up in the foster care system, losing a parent, and coming of age and learning it is safe to come out of the closet all while shadowed by a dark and exciting storyline about a haunted house. The love between the characters didn't feel forced or cringy like in most YA novels. I will say the ending was a little rushed, but overall, a great read that I recommend!
Read if you like:
📖Dark Academia
👻Haunted Houses
🧑🏼❤️🧑🏽Queer Representation
Thank you, NetGalley and Holiday House for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is set to be published on June 6th, 2023!
Graphic: Animal death and Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent
bookish_burrow'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
betweentheshelves'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Animal death, and Confinement
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
raneyak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My favorite aspect of the book was the characterization, and specifically, I loved Theo's character. He felt very autistic-coded and I related so much to him. The way that he struggled sometimes to get his thoughts out coherently felt so real, and I empathized with how seriously he takes things and how much of a goody-two-shoes he was for most of his life.
(Mild/vague spoilers below about the romance aspect of this book)
I also can't get over the raw romantic chemistry that was somehow translated onto the page. I find that a lot of romance relies pretty heavily on the author telling the reader the two leads are falling for each other, or the reader filling in the gaps on their own based on their knowledge of various tropes. In this book, I could feel the characters falling for each other and it felt very real. The language is very lyrical and vivid, and Crespo is able to capture living emotions in a way that many authors struggle to do.
As much as I loved Theo and Jaime, Taylor's story left a little bit to be desired. I think this book could have benefited from being a little bit longer to allow us to really get to know her character better. Since Theo and Jaime spend a lot of their chapters getting to know each other, I felt like I left the book less connected to her than I was to the boys. I would love to see more of her and Anna's relationship, which was abandoned for most of the book. I would also love to see more of her personal life beyond the core plotline, and the same goes for Theo. Once the three main characters got together, it felt like their home lives disappeared almost completely.
I really did enjoy this book, though, and I am excited for it to be released. I can already see it making the rounds through queer reading circles, and I would love to get my hands on a physical copy. Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree for the opportunity to read an eARC!
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
trippyotter'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? Yes
4.0
Jaime has felt lost his entire life, and the day he comes across the dilapidated house in the woods is no different. To his absolute shock, he finds himself trapped in the house and not able to leave. For the first time, Jamie finds himself having to depend upon someone to help him escape. But will they be able to save him before it's too late?
While our trio is uncovering the past, they'll forge a friendship rich in self-discovery, acceptance, and love. Their path won't be easy, but they'll have each other to lean on, something Jaime had never allowed himself before.
The second half of the story is truly what grabbed me. In many ways, I find myself connecting with each character. Don't get me wrong, I was wrapped up in the story from the first chapter, but their individual struggles and willingness to accept each other are what really captured me.
We've all struggled with something in our lives, and having someone there for you, even someone you just meet - without judgment - is everything.
I really can't go into the "struggles" without giving the plot away, so I'll just say, read the book! You won't be sorry. It's an amazing blend of personal and social struggles that will give you all the feels.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Confinement, Animal death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Confinement