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cassie7e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An exercise in intrusive and spiralling thoughts; the prose crisp, visceral, and lyrical in a way that's both beautiful and repulsive.
Many verbs so clear and evocative yet unusual as if it's part of staccato poetry- examples:
"Hook a smile"
"[the dog began to] bark fog on the window"
"Cup darkness around my eyes"
Abby's lack of sense of self and need for external construction of it are heartaching; she doesn't seem in love so much as obsessed and, as she says so often, "nothing" outside the context of relationship. She sees people as symbolic, as roles and values, not individual personalities, and that includes herself.
"You have to be real for a man to love you" her mom says - instead of this meaning men love women who are already real, Abby (and maybe her mom too?) believe that a man's love MAKES you real. Proves you're real.
Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Grief, Body shaming, Gore, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Vomit, Sexism, and Stalking
lycheejelly's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Infertility, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Miscarriage, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Self harm, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Cancer, Sexism, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Fatphobia, and Excrement
smithreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Cannibalism, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Mental illness, Blood, Self harm, and Body horror
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
hapikohw'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
5.0
Husband and wife with mommy issues, the house may or may not be haunted in the literal sense with the ghost of the man's mother after her suicide, but it most certainly is in the metaphorical sense.
Depression as a haunting and BPD, psychosis, obsession, worship, low self-worth, mother wounds and trauma as a possession - wow, that is a perfect way to parallel the horrors of a horror with the horrors of being in our reality. If Ghosts and demons and exorcists transferred to our real human being experiences they would most certainly be like this.
I enjoyed this through and through.
Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Vomit, Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual content