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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lovely prose
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Short, tense and gripping, like a far more interesting version of that terrible novel Leave the World Behind - even if the final pages didn't quite deliver the payoff I had hoped for. More of a 4.5 in the end.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Strange little book. Definitely does a good job of keeping up the eery tone and suspense throughout, but it ended a little flat for me. Embarrassed to admit I had to google what the ending met - what was the important thing??? - and then I got it but still felt like there was something missing, but I guess it was more about the message than the plot. Compelling if you like kinda sad, not quite scary stories though!
my first literary horror novel! i was gripped the whole time, full of dread. but the ending fell a little flat for me.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Environmental decay—contaminated water.
The confusion fits the fever dream vibe. Fractured structure is intentional, but still frustrating.
Message felt forced and heavy-handed.
Mom fixates on splinters, rescue distance, creaky stairs, but disregards the larger danger.
Or maybe the environmental threat isn’t ignored so much as never considered. Everyone’s too absorbed in minor fears to notice what’s actually killing them. Mirrors society.
Still, characters feel more like symbols than people. Hard to tell where they end and the author begins—blurs too much, loses subtlety.
Less about people navigating a toxic world, more about the world forcing a point.
The confusion fits the fever dream vibe. Fractured structure is intentional, but still frustrating.
Message felt forced and heavy-handed.
Mom fixates on splinters, rescue distance, creaky stairs, but disregards the larger danger.
Or maybe the environmental threat isn’t ignored so much as never considered. Everyone’s too absorbed in minor fears to notice what’s actually killing them. Mirrors society.
Still, characters feel more like symbols than people. Hard to tell where they end and the author begins—blurs too much, loses subtlety.
Less about people navigating a toxic world, more about the world forcing a point.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No