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ribbenkast's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
This book is exactly what the title suggests: a complete fever dream.
The prose and storytelling devise were interesting enough. I liked the themes of motherhood, grief and the various motives used by the author. Overall I think this book is very clever and has all the checkmarks of becoming a future classic.
But (and this might be a translation issue) I found it hard to understand what was going on. Despite It's overall literary quality I couldn't quite manage to connect with the book personally. I like unreliable narrotors, especially ones that also have no clue about what is actually happening, but I felt like the hints that are supposed to tell the reader what was actually going on where too hidden away in throwaway lines and are easily missed. You have to be paying attention to every single little word in every sentence and whilst I can respect that whenever an author is doing that, I just didnt care much for it with this particular story.
Also, the back blurb and especially the recommendation qoutes on the inside promised me a bone chilling horror story that would "make me lock the doors at night". Why? The "danger" in the book (if you could call it that) has nothing to do with horror and does not leave you spooked.
The prose and storytelling devise were interesting enough. I liked the themes of motherhood, grief and the various motives used by the author. Overall I think this book is very clever and has all the checkmarks of becoming a future classic.
But (and this might be a translation issue) I found it hard to understand what was going on. Despite It's overall literary quality I couldn't quite manage to connect with the book personally. I like unreliable narrotors, especially ones that also have no clue about what is actually happening, but I felt like the hints that are supposed to tell the reader what was actually going on where too hidden away in throwaway lines and are easily missed. You have to be paying attention to every single little word in every sentence and whilst I can respect that whenever an author is doing that, I just didnt care much for it with this particular story.
Also, the back blurb and especially the recommendation qoutes on the inside promised me a bone chilling horror story that would "make me lock the doors at night". Why? The "danger" in the book (if you could call it that) has nothing to do with horror and does not leave you spooked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Child death, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
gotnoculture's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
wannabeedreamer's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I feel like the story fell flat for a couple of reasons
- I didn’t like the mystical aspects of the story, like how David was mysteriously doing things or the greenhouse because it made me expect more at the end of the book and nothing happened that was a “big magic reveal” or something
- I don’t like books where the title gives away the story, cause you read the title, know that’s what the story is, but you want it to be more and discover the story yourself. I wanted to be surprised it was a fever dream but at the same time that trope is (in my opinion) more lazy and overused. However this wasn’t AS bad as the typical “it was all a dream” because you’re aware it’s a dream, minus the David part
I honestly would’ve enjoyed it a lot more if it just focused on her in this poisoned environment not aware WITHOUT all the mystical elements. This could’ve very well been a realistic horror novella on its own without the supernatural elements. Overall I did enjoy reading the books aside from being confused from time to time, and even though I was disappointed after finishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
emily_koopmann's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Terminal illness and Injury/Injury detail
velvet_young's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
jmusil44's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
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