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aidareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Stalking
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Child abuse
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Stalking
Moderate: Pedophilia, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Child death, Car accident, Child abuse, Dementia, and Kidnapping
maggieoc_x's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Stalking, and Car accident
Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Dementia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Confinement, Car accident, Grief, and Medical content
bashsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Car accident, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Child death
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Cursing, Animal death, and Bullying
daniela_09'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
3.0
A bit confusing with the progression of events(his childhood could've been told in chronological order) and it would've delivered the same type of creepiness and suspense to the readers.
I also wanted the author to give more depth or information about the penpal/stalker so it lacked that closure for me in the end.
Overall, I still liked it and it fit the vibe of my spooky reading list 🎃👻
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Blood, Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Death
maniacjac's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Animal death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Death
Moderate: Grief, Dementia, and Pedophilia
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Confinement
isobelthefrog'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? No
Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Stalking
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Kidnapping
killmoore_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Penpal is a story that takes us on a journey into the past as a man works to unravel the mystery of his lost friend and the unsettling experiences of his childhood. It is dripping with dread, and each story leaves you feeling like maaaybe you should check to make sure the doors are locked one more time before heading to bed.
What makes Penpal successful for me is what we are left without. We never see the monster. In fact, there is a significant section of this book that works to shut down the idea of our villain as the Boogeyman - he's just a man.
On its own, Penpal is horrific, but as a parent myself with 2 boys in the age range of our MC, it is absolutely gut wrenching.
I'm not giving this 5 stars simply because of the format - it reads very much like a nosleep post (which it is) and tends to be a bit wordy and disconnected at points. However, if nosleep is your jam, or maybe you just want to read something that will leave you sick to your stomach, Penpal is the perfect novel for you.
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Bullying, Grief, and Pedophilia
ivymaew's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, and Dementia
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Torture, Murder, Violence, and Pedophilia
fancypotato1995's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, and Stalking