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alexisgarcia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
the more i think about this book, the more mad i get. the only good character in this was ingrid (except for what she did to the young kid (i forgot his name and already returned this to the library)).
the large amount of detailed descriptions of rape were completely unnecessary imo. same thing with the random animal cruelty which was never explained so many crazy things happened with exactly 0 explanations who killed all of the artists, who killed the animals and why, how the nails play into this, how the glass appeared in the clay, etc. i could go on and on . it left me wondering what the point of including it even was.
also don’t get me started on the ending. it was so out of left field and unsatisfying. it felt like she couldn’t figure out a way to wrap up all of the different plot points so she decided to go with something that had nothing to do with the entire book.
i really really liked bloom so this felt like such a letdown.
the large amount of detailed descriptions of
also don’t get me started on the ending. it was so out of left field and unsatisfying. it felt like she couldn’t figure out a way to wrap up all of the different plot points so she decided to go with something that had nothing to do with the entire book.
i really really liked bloom so this felt like such a letdown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
nicekweenreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
5.0
While I can certainly see how this can be a decisive book, I absolutely loved it.
Pros:
I really liked and related to Sarah, the main character. She is a women who just cut off ties with her manipulative mother and just left an emotionally abusive relationship. Accepted to an artist colony, Sarah is excited to find who is without her ex. However, strange events start occurring the moment she accidentally digs up a woman when trying to dig an area for a kiln. From there she is mysteriously connected to the dead woman, receiving flashbacks to her life, and the horrors that await at the property.
Most of the characters felt real and multidimensional. I could relate to a lot of them in many ways (except the artistic talent).
I also really liked the feminist perspective this book was written from. It's very refreshing in the horror genre and sadly relatable.
Another relatable relationship was the "romantic interest". A lot of books have some hunky, magical man to come in and save the heroine's heart, this isn't it. I love they didn't get together. Right person, wrong time.
Though I'm not normally a fan of historical horror, I thought it was done well. The historical truth of how easily women were given to asylums added an extra layer of eeriness. The ties between Emily and Sarah served as a great, yet heart breaking parallel. I do wish Emily has a better redemption though.
Cons:
I felt the pacing was a little slow in beginning. We spend a long time with characters that don't really matter much.
I am positive the nails were supposed to have some bigger conenction but I didn't get it. It was really clear what those who held them besides being randonly possessed.
I also felt the ending was also little rushed and odd, especially when compared to how long the beginning of the book was.The ex boyfriend showing up at the end in the hotel was so odd. Especially since there was no expalnation if he and Gale were working together.
Pros:
I really liked and related to Sarah, the main character. She is a women who just cut off ties with her manipulative mother and just left an emotionally abusive relationship. Accepted to an artist colony, Sarah is excited to find who is without her ex. However, strange events start occurring the moment she accidentally digs up a woman when trying to dig an area for a kiln. From there she is mysteriously connected to the dead woman, receiving flashbacks to her life, and the horrors that await at the property.
Most of the characters felt real and multidimensional. I could relate to a lot of them in many ways (except the artistic talent).
I also really liked the feminist perspective this book was written from. It's very refreshing in the horror genre and sadly relatable.
Another relatable relationship was the "romantic interest".
Though I'm not normally a fan of historical horror, I thought it was done well.
Cons:
I felt the pacing was a little slow in beginning. We spend a long time with characters that don't really matter much.
I also felt the ending was also little rushed and odd, especially when compared to how long the beginning of the book was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Vomit