Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - My Dearest Darkest

This book was so good!! I read it in one sitting and am obsessed with the vibes. The characters where dynamic and vibrant and the plot was well done. The pacing of the book was great and I just overall loved the style and aesthetic of the book. I highly recommend to people who love horror, dark academia, and a diverse cast of characters.

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marleywrites's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was so gross. I loved it. It’s nasty parts were disgusting and I could picture the visuals so clearly. It was awesome.

I was rooting for Finch and Selena from their very first meeting. I loved the supporting characters of Sumera, Simon, Amber, and Risa.

Kyra was the perfect villain and pawn for Nerosi.

The spookiest part for me was when Simon and Selena saw the Echo of Margo. For some reason that really freaked me out. But in the best way.

Overall I liked the writing style and humor of the book. I liked the characters.

I wish Sumera could have been seen as more multi-dimensional rather than always being upset with Finch or Selena. I also wish we had slightly more build up towards the beginning of the story.

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silviaaa's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It was okay but at times it was really slow. I didn’t care about the character until the middle of the book . There were so many background/secondary characters that I didn’t bother remembering most of them. A lot of which ended up being relevant later and I had to keep checking back to remember who was who. I enjoyed the ending and the reveal at the end. I think it was the most interesting part of the whole book. That being said it wasn’t for me but I think middle/high school me would have loved it.

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l_e_lavalle's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Would recommend! It's a perfect rainy day read as well as a single day read. I couldn't put it down from start to finish.

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analog_librarian's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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lucyshucy's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

girls, simon, and nerosi (the three genders)

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lil_rachie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you Raincoast Books for an ARC copy for an honest review.

This was an excellent YA queer mystery thriller. If you’re not already intrigued by that alone, there are potential cult elements, a mysterious band disappearance from almost 20 years ago, a queer girl coming to terms with her sexuality, and a weird thing in the tunnels beneath the school that can grant wishes.
The writing style was really good. It was super easy to follow, and the author developed the creepy and unsettling atmosphere really well. I was completely sucked into this story, and I didn’t want to put it down. It did feel a little slow at times, but I enjoyed the mystery aspect and also the relationship aspect.
Finch has lived a pretty sheltered life, but after her parents death, she starts at Ulalume. She and Selena are drawn towards each other, and I enjoyed seeing Finch come to terms with her crush on Selena. Their relationship was really good, and I liked how it developed over the course of the book. Finch is also drawn down into the tunnels beneath Ulalume where she accidentally pulls something into existence in their world.
Selena was also a good character. I liked her confidence and how she owned her identity, and I really felt for her when we learned how she’d suffered before getting to this place where she could own it. Her toxic friendship/relationship with Kyra was very unsettling, and Kyra only became worse as the book progressed. Selena is drawn not only towards Finch, but she’s also pulled into the mystery of the thing in the tunnels when Kyra discovers it and gets her friends involved.
This got pretty dark at times, and the ending was really intense. I really liked the friendships that developed in the book, the romance, and the creepy mystery.

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