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iphigeniad's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicide
venti's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Self harm
peachani's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Grief, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Fatphobia, Gore, Lesbophobia, Outing, Racism, Sexual content, and Vomit
yeimyaileen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book is very good. super atmostpheric. i audibly gasped a few times. i felt like ellis was a bit less developed than i wanted, but in the end, i understand why. i also liked the light commentary about the role of womens mental health in horror novels, and how their experiences are discredited despite their inclinations for the truth. this book is peak gaslight gatekeep girlboss.
slight spoilers for these violent delights below, in conversation with a lesson in vengeance.
- you dont understand how fortuitous it was for me to pick this up after these violent delights. like gays going through violent things together and it ends up destroying them?
- people keeping secrets from one another but also holding evidence against each other in sick and twisted ways? when the romance is purely physical, and its hard for them to feel love, because love isnt what they see? rather, they share violence and an inclination to controlling one another?
- i really like these novels about obsession, and the idea that one of the characters finds pleasure in the perverse, and thus feels shame, despite the other character accepting them for who they are
- and the book being dedicated to felicity?? as if she knew what was going to happen anyway? just like the chess game with julian and paul?
- and i really like how ambiguous the magic is in this book? like was she really being haunted? did the magic actually exist? my skewed answer is yes. that doesnt mean she wasnt being gaslit so hard.
- to end, this book has no men in it. slay.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide
pixelpigeon's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Animal death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Re: animal deathlooseleafellie's review
This book has been on my TBR for a while, but a friend of mine read it recently and then forced her copy into my hands the second she was done with it. So of course, I had to see what entranced her so much!
Five words: queer dark academia with murder! The vibes of this book are absolutely impeccable, and while the story unfolds slowly, the creeping tension really makes it work. Schemes rumble beneath the surface, the protagonist isn’t always the most reliable narrator, and the ending is absolutely WILD.
The characters are extremely pretentious in a way that felt, to me, quite tongue-in-cheek, so luckily I was able to enjoy their exploits without getting annoyed. A fun tidbit about this book is that there are no men mentioned anywhere in the story. All the characters are female or non-binary, and none of the plentiful literary references come from male authors.
Basically, don’t go in expecting a fast-paced thriller, but do expect an eerie slow-burn of a narrative that will keep you on your toes. This is definitely the kind of book you should read at night by the fire with a cup of tea and a storm raging outside. Just keep an eye out for any ghosts that might be lurking in your corners …
CWs: Death, violence, manipulation and emotional abuse, child neglect (past/offscreen), mental health issues, substance abuse, suicide references (no actual suicide), references to racist history at a PWI.
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, and Animal death
Minor: Suicide, Child abuse, and Racism
cass_reads_98's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Death, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Self harm
miabellawymer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Gaslighting, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Suicide
milly2222's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death and Gun violence