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atmissv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Bullying, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
axel_p's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Body shaming, Gore, Toxic friendship, Violence, Grief, Sexual content, and Torture
keen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Torture, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Grief, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Cannibalism and Suicide
josie_reads_books's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
rosynk's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Medical content, Terminal illness, Stalking, Sexual content, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexual violence, and Violence
archaicrobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I did not like this book. Maeve was not a character I liked, could relate to, or was even interested in, nor were any of the other characters. All of them come as pretentious in the worst way with no redeeming qualities, I couldn’t relate or care about any of them.
This book was very slow in my opinion with the real killing not occurring until halfway through the novel, and since I don’t enjoy gore or torture porn the entire novel was boring and unenjoyable for me. I had heard this novel was amazing and a must read and I could see that if you’re a fan of gore or extreme horror, but if you’re not I’d pass.
Maeve is essentially a female Patrick Bateman, and the character even alludes to this in the novel in a not so subtle way that just, again came off as pretentious to me. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone looking for a great horror read, UNLESS American Psycho was appealing to them (I also hated that book….).
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
fangirljeanne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a great horror novel, beautifully grotesque and emotionally raw to an uncomfortable degree. It’s very much more lit fic than in tone and execution than horror or splatter punk, though it absolutely holds its own in both genres. The experience of being a woman, especially one who doesn’t fit the unattainable hypocrisy of socially acceptable feminine ideals, is a horrific mind-bending experience.
Maeve is not unique in her weird or messiness, take out the overt violence and this would be like many other women’s lit narrative about the trauma of living under patriarchy. But here, in the framing of a horror novel this narrative feels more authentic, more autonomous compared to the passive victimhood of a lot of white women’s navel gazing fiction, at least until the end. Maeve felt like she was going to give the cliche narrative of the weird girl, the creepy girl, the femme fatale a newer better ending. One where she embraces that aspects of herself that fear of society tells her to suppress and hate. While she escapes the typical fate of “fallen women” of literature, she is still punished for refusing to conform to society. That’s the only aspect of the story I disliked. It felt like a step back after so many subversive strides forward.
I get it, this is a horror novel. Heartbreak is an important aspect of that genre. But I would also argue that few things are quite as frightening to patriarchy as a villainous woman getting everything she wants including love and acceptance.
Highly recommended to fans of graphic horror and dark humor. If you love the movie May (2002) this book might be for you too.
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Grief, Torture, Animal death, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, Classism, Ableism, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Drug use, Excrement, Rape, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Chronic illness
mourtarymaggots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Sexual violence, Stalking, Murder, Infidelity, Gore, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Torture, Sexual content, Blood, Mental illness, and Excrement
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Animal death, Abortion, and Cannibalism
belletree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Cannibalism, Violence, Body horror, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Gore, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Excrement, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Murder, and Blood
mhh831666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Mental illness, and Torture
Moderate: Chronic illness