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path_through_pages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
This book isn't about the evil of monsters but the evil of humanity.
How ignorance and hurt can manifest as evil. How turning against others we don't understand spirals into anger, pain, torment, and horrific acts. How humans have the ability to justify apathy and cruelty within our own minds.
It's a look at the very real dangers and acts of violence that have happened and still do happen to the LGBTQIA+ community.
It discusses the complexities of faith and represents anxiety and depression as something that can destroy us but can also be our protector and intuition.
This book hurt. It saddened me and upset me and angered me and to me, that is good writing.
Trigger warnings: infant/pregnancy loss, SA, homophobia, physical violence
How ignorance and hurt can manifest as evil. How turning against others we don't understand spirals into anger, pain, torment, and horrific acts. How humans have the ability to justify apathy and cruelty within our own minds.
It's a look at the very real dangers and acts of violence that have happened and still do happen to the LGBTQIA+ community.
It discusses the complexities of faith and represents anxiety and depression as something that can destroy us but can also be our protector and intuition.
This book hurt. It saddened me and upset me and angered me and to me, that is good writing.
Trigger warnings: infant/pregnancy loss, SA, homophobia, physical violence
unhingedreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
halimannder's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
A disjointed story line that has a rushed conclusion and an odd writing style that I did not enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Pedophilia
babsreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
mssunnyskies's review against another edition
The portrayal of grief is a little too real
criminolly's review against another edition
4.0
This is a weird, weird book, uncomfortably weird at times. It has the feel of a low budget 70s horror movie - creepy, bizarre and sometimes hard to process.
Unusually for me I wasn't sure of my thoughts on it immediately on finishing it, so have let it sit overnight before reviewing. And I've decided I liked it. There is a lot going on here, and not all of it works, but overall it has a mood I found irresistibly appealing and fascinating. It's definitely not perfect, but so much of it is good that overall I liked it a lot.
Unusually for me I wasn't sure of my thoughts on it immediately on finishing it, so have let it sit overnight before reviewing. And I've decided I liked it. There is a lot going on here, and not all of it works, but overall it has a mood I found irresistibly appealing and fascinating. It's definitely not perfect, but so much of it is good that overall I liked it a lot.
teawithraine's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book but I was more so confused as the story unraveled
brandonotis's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 (but rounding down :/)
I've been an avid reader of Eric LaRocca's books these past few years, and this definitely isn't the "worst" one in my opinion, but it is the one I've been the most frustrated with narrative wise.
This is his first full novel as opposed to novellas and short stories, and ultimately I do think he is capable of moving into the full novel range, the prose is classic LaRocca and there are some really great moments that I come to expect for his writing.
But, I ultimately felt frustrated reading, the book just isn't for me. Basically all narrative beats go in a different direction from what I personally would've wished to read or saw happen, and maybe that is slightly petty sounding because, that just not what the book was, but a lot of the choices that happen throughout the novel fall into a place that I don't want to personally see in fiction.
The book is dark and bad things happen, this is fine. But, for me I'd love to see gay characters get the best of their oppressors, I'd want to see a god who looked away from gay people bow to an old gay man who's HIV positive. Instead the book goes down a more traditional path, and I don't think that's wrong, I don't think that's homophobic, but it is just not what I want to see from LGBT fantasy and horror stories.
Regardless about how I feel about the literal choices made in the story, it still just wasn't my favorite book. I think that it easily can be someone's favorite, it just isn't mine.
I've been an avid reader of Eric LaRocca's books these past few years, and this definitely isn't the "worst" one in my opinion, but it is the one I've been the most frustrated with narrative wise.
This is his first full novel as opposed to novellas and short stories, and ultimately I do think he is capable of moving into the full novel range, the prose is classic LaRocca and there are some really great moments that I come to expect for his writing.
But, I ultimately felt frustrated reading, the book just isn't for me. Basically all narrative beats go in a different direction from what I personally would've wished to read or saw happen, and maybe that is slightly petty sounding because, that just not what the book was, but a lot of the choices that happen throughout the novel fall into a place that I don't want to personally see in fiction.
The book is dark and bad things happen, this is fine. But, for me I'd love to see gay characters get the best of their oppressors, I'd want to see a god who looked away from gay people bow to an old gay man who's HIV positive. Instead the book goes down a more traditional path, and I don't think that's wrong, I don't think that's homophobic, but it is just not what I want to see from LGBT fantasy and horror stories.
Regardless about how I feel about the literal choices made in the story, it still just wasn't my favorite book. I think that it easily can be someone's favorite, it just isn't mine.
haileyreads_'s review against another edition
1.0
i love this author this was so mf disappointing :/