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glitterdeww's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Emily Carroll's talents are on vivid display in this full length graphic novel. Fantastic and bloody imagery overlaps the mundane life of Abby, a quiet woman in a small town, as she becomes enveloped in the mystery of her husband's late wife. There is a depth of suspense and quiet throughout this novel that builds slowly and powerfully. Abby's imagination and suspicion collide within the gloriously illustrated pages, and like Carroll's short stories, the reader is brought to a climactic and abrupt ending.
PLOT: 4.5
PLOT: 4.5
CHAR: 4
CRAFT: 5
ENGMT: 4
SPARK: 4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Suicide
xabbeylongx's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Spoilers Ahead:
Once again, Carroll has blown me away with her book. The illustrations, perfect, and the storyline, even more perfect!
We follow Abby as she is with her new husband, a dentist, left widowed from his previous marriage, and his child from that marriage, Crystal. They all live together, and Sheila, the ex-wife, had supposedly died from cancer. However, when she starts being haunted by ‘Sheila’, and is told that she was actually murdered by him, she starts to feel a little weird, like everything is not as it seems.
And when she lets someone into the house to look after Crystal, after an accident with her husband that leaves him dead, when she finds out that someone is not who they say they are, everything kicks off.
Honestly, my explanation does not do the story justice at all. It’s one of the best, most intriguing and most chilling books I’ve ever read.
The ending was so ambiguous. There were so many theories, and it’s one of the only books, thus far, that I’ve had to look up because I have no idea how it ends. One part of me thinks that it’s a bit of copout, the ending not being clear, but the other, more correct part of me loves the ambiguity. The reader is free to make up their own theories as to how the story ends. Personally, I don’t know what to think, and I like there not being a typically ‘correct’ ending to it, it makes it a very unique book, even though I know a lot of people didn’t like how it ended. I, having personally thought about it a bit more since I last read the book, think it’s insanely impressive to write and illustrate a novel like that. And it’s queer, which makes it all the better!
The only thing is I didn't bond with the characters too much, and I thought Abby was quite bland, but I think that also helps with the story, so I'm not too mad about it. And the less said about Abby's husband the better, because he is an awful man, and I think he deserved what happened to him.
The only thing is I didn't bond with the characters too much, and I thought Abby was quite bland, but I think that also helps with the story, so I'm not too mad about it. And the less said about Abby's husband the better, because he is an awful man, and I think he deserved what happened to him.
One of my favourite reviews ever: “Girls be like ‘I’m fighting demons’ and the demons be homosexuality”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gaslighting, Cancer, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Violence, and Emotional abuse
catspajamas15's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Emily Carroll can do no wrong. Her art is unparalleled and hauntingly beautiful. Her story may not make sense to some, but you can still get lost in the illustrations and come to your own conclusions. I will always support this author.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Murder, Self harm, Grief, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, and Death of parent
alisonannk's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny
nanoauthor's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, and Emotional abuse
whatisjordyreading's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gore, and Self harm
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse and Pregnancy
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