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laurensalisbury's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Violence
poisonenvy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
And then, one day, she recieves a letter from her family, calling her back to her family home where she belongs, and where she's wanted. But when she gets there, it's not what she expects.
This story was very enjoyable. It was an easy read with beautiful prose. I can't say that the story was especially deep -- it sometimes feels more like dressings than a fully realized story -- and the ending was anticlimactic, but I still very much enjoyed myself throughout the entire story.
As an aside, the book itself is beautifully out together too. I had the Illumicrate special edition, which is to be expected for some of the extra flourishes -- the journal pages were designed to look like journal pages and the section dividers were lovely -- but even the regular editions that my friends read had beautiful ink drawings and certain pages were white text on a black background which I thought was an especially nice touch. I'm a big fan of when books put forth just that little bit of extra effort to make their books something special.
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Animal death and Mental illness
kathrynleereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I've always enjoyed reading a story with a static clue that twists and morphs throughout the story, just as the journal did in this book. The context and meaning of the journal entries and drawings shifted as the story went on and as Olivia began to understand her mother better and better.
I do believe that the story ended a bit abruptly and could have used a bit more at the end.
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
_paperserpent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Suicide, Death of parent, and Blood
stormeno's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
underworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
lettuce_read's review against another edition
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Child death and Bullying
diadoodle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and Child abuse
charlottx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Loved Matthew <3
Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
mallorypen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I did like the idea of Death having his four soldiers (horsemen of the apocalypse?) and that Olivia’s mother was helped by one of them and ultimately fell in love with him. Their story seemed much more interesting than Matthew and Olivia meeting as long-lost cousins and the last scions of the Prior family.
I also didn’t have much of an emotional connection to Matthew, Thomas, or anyone else other than Olivia and her mother. Even then, I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading to find out what happened to them next.
The climax of the story where Thomas isn’t actually alive felt kind of blah. The betrayal of Death, Matthew sacrificing himself for Olivia, and Olivia commanding the ghouls in the real world didn’t give me any big emotional payoff.
The spooky melancholy feel was a mood the entire read, though.
Moderate: Death and Death of parent