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zakiyaj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Stalking, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Classism, and Colonisation
madmantha'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? Yes
4.75
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time.
Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come.
Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Alcohol, Addiction, Hate crime, Outing, Racial slurs, and Slavery
taelights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I loved the general concept and what we found out was going on was very interesting and fucked up. However, it took forever to get to that element of the book and nothing really seemed to happen until the later 75% of the book. There seemed to be way too much filler in this book and not enough of the payoff. In fact it felt like there wasn't a true conclusion to the book at all with it stopping abruptly and the epilogue leaving so many unanswered questions.
Sydney I thought was underdeveloped and I hated Theo. His POV was always so annoying to read and I thought he was a major creep. Like he's always watching Sydney in the apartment across the street and getting boners for her and acting like a teenage boy going through puberty with how often he's getting horny for her and it's like dude.... Yet he's supposed to be seen in a good light and as like the only non racist and non threatening white person who moved in…. Yikes. Like sure he's not part of the overall group of bad guys but. The bar is in hell.
The romance between Sydney and Theo was unbearable too. Like I hated them together and thought Theo didn't deserve her and her suddenly wanting him after treating him like a crap until they hooked up made the romance make zero sense. So much of the book is developing this boring gross romance though. Like I know now that this author is a romance author trying her hand at thrillers but my god this seemed like a romance with a side of a fucked up plan featuring gentrification and racism rather than an actual thriller.
I didn't vibe with the writing style. I saw someone say it read like a YA and I kind of agree. The characters felt very immature and Theo's especially it felt like reading a teenager's POV.
Overall this thriller really disappointed me and was lacking in so many areas. I have way more complaints about this book than praise unfortunately.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, Racism, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, Addiction, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Colonisation and Cultural appropriation
arthomas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Grief, Murder, Drug use, Gun violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Slavery, Stalking, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mental illness, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Racism
persimmons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Stalking, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, Genocide, Drug abuse, and Cultural appropriation
alexanblanco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, and Stalking
entanglednovels'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: Cursing, Hate crime, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
kaylamoran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've seen a lot of white reviewers complain that this book wasn't thrilling, wasn't creepy. As a white person myself I'd just like to ask if they read the same book. This book was the definition of unsettling. The creepiness, the dread, it starts in chapter one and never stops from there.
I loved Sydney and Theo. I loved how easily I could get into both of their minds, how well fleshed out and how human they both were. Both were so flawed but had such good intentions, and I was rooting for them both the entire time.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
renee_reads_books'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
4.0
This book is a psychological thriller centered around systemic racism and what happens to people when gentrification pushes them out of the houses and neighborhoods that have been home for generations. It takes place in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gifford Place where longtime residents have started mysteriously disappearing just as a big pharma company wants to establish a presence there. The black neighborhood is whitewashed more and more each day as main characters Sydney and Theo work to uncover what's really happening.
The one thing that I felt wasn't really wrapped up or answered was the question of what happened with Marcus and why Sydney had been in the hospital at some point. Also could be that maybe I just misunderstood that part or missed a detail somewhere.
Definitely socio-political, so if that's not your jam, you might not enjoy this as much. There are sources at the end that the author used to inform all the historical background for the neighborhood where the book takes place. It shows how practices like redlining and over-policing (and numerous others) still exist in present times, so it's based on very real and current issues. A good read from multiple angles.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Stalking, and Violence
amberinbookland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, and Violence