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justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in a university and not a high school campus, that the characters were grown adults and not wildly troubled teenagers. Everything just felt a little off, which was mayve intentional but left me unable to click with the story or writing.
But, I'm also conflicted as I listened to the audio book version and found myself having to play it at double speed so as not to fall asleep from boredom with the way it was read. So, I'm unsure if I may have enjoyed the book more had I read a physical copy.
Either way, an interesting book and premise, scary and challenging but not for me.
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Confinement, and Cursing
sydneynorman'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood
porporina'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, Body horror, Self harm, Animal death, Vomit, Classism, Gore, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
aeriecircus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Body horror, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Drug abuse
Minor: Abandonment
amberghinii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Classism, Gore, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
lorenag5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Torture, and Toxic relationship
emilymcculloh'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Violence and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Eating disorder
sophmcgraw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Gore
Moderate: Gaslighting
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The writing is poetic, weird, fanciful, evocative, and conveys a sense of claustrophobic, existential dread that could easily be described as paranoid schizophrenic. Cthulhu is mentioned more than once; whether the narrator is reliable or not, is your call.
A lot of the discomforting tone of the book is tapping deep into common stressors. Our main character Samantha is forced into group work (the horror!) with a clique of rich and sheltered young women who are completely self-involved, and codependent. She nicknames them "the Bunnies" because they use the term Bunny as an affectionate pet term for each other. This stifling environment is ruled over by an abusive tutor (treated as a mentor and carer) who is continually encouraging them to get uncomfortable and use their pain in their art.
I haven't read a story set in a school with a more real feeling of loneliness, insecurity, and anxiety.. and I have read a lot of YA authors. The girls derive their strength from subjugating their individuality, becoming a hive mind that is as oppressive as it is inclusive. To be accepted one must pay a great price, and even those on the inside are continually being torn down by the narcissistic cycle of love-bombing, gas-lighting, and passive/aggressive negativity. Every interaction feels invasively vulnerable. Every interaction feels like a trap.
The town around the campus feels barren. Although there are opulent houses, there are certain parts of town that are derelict. Samantha finds herself moving out of her stifling p*ss-yellow apartment, in a building full of people with mental illnesses, into a derelict building. She lives with an aloof gothic-punk girl who she attends tango class with, and who carries a hip-flask labelled "drink me". The Alice In Wonderland theme is riffed on, quite a bit. Their relationship is almost homo-erotic, but asexually so.
The Othering in this story is next level. Girls moon over fantasy boys who are often dead superstars like James Dean, or characters from Greek myth. They are made fantasy by being utterly unreal, un-attainable, and fetishised through being exotic or not even speaking English. I only realise this after noticing the sexualisation of the tutor who speaks with a Scottish accent. It's like they are so starved for stimulation, and yet so terrified of reality that they need to create abstracted lust. There is no vulnerability with a partner who isn't really a person, bunny.
Graphic: Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Classism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Mental illness, Gore, and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit and Suicidal thoughts
garciaga's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Animal death