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clovetra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I WAS RIGHT!! I LOVE ANDREW JOSEPH WHITE!!
i think the biggest differences for me regarding this book & hfwu were the plot itself & the worldbuilding!
with hfwu, it was hard for me to understand as i grew up in a very agnostic household... i think ive been to a church once in my entire life. so grasping the undertones, backstory & context were hard for me! they weren't necessary for me to get cuz tbh i still had a blast but it did damper my experience. also, the worldbuilding felt lacking there.
NOT IN THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the worldbuilding here is phenomenal!!! i was a bit worried at the beginning cuz i was like "ohh... ummmm idk whats happening with the speaker society". but because the 'big bad' concept was a lot easier to grasp with no background information it ate soooooooo hard. delicious. it's so easy to immerse yourself in this story as most concepts aren't too hard to imagine - picturing the victorian aesthetic did not feel laborious on my small brain which i loved!
also!!!!! don't ask me to explain this but compared to hfwt.... the writing felt more sophisticated! like joseph white has truly found his comfort spot and is executing his art perfectly.
now lets get away from comparisons and let me just gush about this book;
- T4T ROMANCE!!!! BABY'S FIRST T4T BOOK!!! I LOVED IT!!!! SO MUCH!!!!
- i want to marry daphne sorry she's mine
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- the plot twists were so fucking crazy but always in a good way. like
- i loved this horror style!!! like leaning into the medical gore...... chefs kiss.
- autistic rep!!! ugh i love the way silas explains having autism. esp the rabbit. as someone with their own rabbit idk this made me feel all mushy inside. plus the groundskeeper???? im gonna CRYYYYYYY
i literally don't think a single part of this book fell even the slightest bit flat. i became so enamoured with this book i think im going to have to stare at fan art for the next couple of hours.
anyways now im listening to boys will be bugs by cavetown because that feels appropriate
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Torture, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Medical content, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Pregnancy, Self harm, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Abortion
jamielikestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Transphobia, Sexism, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexual assault
roseleebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I knew going into this that the book was going to be intense and emotional. It was very well written and the mystery and horror were impossible to stop thinking about. The reflection of what we are seeing in our own world today was chilling.
I was not bothered by the body horror elements but recommend going into the book prepared for it. It is central to understanding the world Silas is in.
I really loved the quieter moments of this book, the friendship and love that several of the characters show toward each other. It provides hope when everything seems hopeless otherwise.
I can't stop thinking about this book. The tension, mystery, and horror were all so well written, and Silas' POV pulls you into his world. I also really appreciated the audiobook narration which pulled me into the story.
Graphic: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Misogyny, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Medical content, Classism, Abortion, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Rape, Torture, and Suicide attempt
Minor: War
3arth2kaye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Medical content, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Deadnaming, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Confinement
Minor: Rape
ashes_book_cave's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Animal death, and Ableism
emdowd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Gore, Deadnaming, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Blood, Body horror, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Grief and Dysphoria
Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexual assault
aklikethegun's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Rape, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Gore, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Body shaming, Outing, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Trafficking, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Grief, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Drug use, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cannibalism, Infertility, Infidelity, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Excrement, and Drug abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Excrement, Acephobia/Arophobia, Genocide, Infidelity, and Biphobia
coffeenoldbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Medical content, Abortion, Blood, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Pregnancy
aklikethegun's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal death, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Rape, Classism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Ableism, Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Deadnaming, Addiction, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
bea_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Abortion, Blood, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Ableism, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Rape, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Homophobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal death and Cursing