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glassflowrr's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
Another absolute masterpiece from Mona Awad. I love how dreamy and confusing it feels at times, and how well I'm able to feel Mirabelle's almost hypnotized state through the prose. The climax had me biting my nails and crying. Awad could write a book about a sentient shampoo bottle and I'd love it. It is definitely a challenging read if you aren't used to Awad's fever dream prose but I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Animal death
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Classism, Blood, and Body shaming
_scvvter's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
In these early stages of my reading journey, I always knew I wanted to read Awad's work. Something about her stood out to me. And when I saw I could rent her newest novel from my library, I immediately jumped at the chance.
Then I hate to wait more than 6 months for it to get to me because over 100 people in my city were ahead of me. When I finally got this, I was thinking "this better have been worth the wait.
And MY GOD WAS IT. I absolutely love this book. Awad was able to easily get me to sympathise with every character, even the ones with smaller roles. Her writing shoved me right into the story and had me waiting to get back to it any chance I could get. It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and suspenseful.
The one thing I can say about this that isn't positive is that this doesn't feel like a horror novel at all.literally the only part I found scary was toward the end and that was like 1% of the novel. I would say if you're looking for a real horror story, I wouldn't pick this up.
In the end, what I great start to my reading of 2024 and it makes me have high hopes for all of Awad's other novels!
Final Score: 10/10
Then I hate to wait more than 6 months for it to get to me because over 100 people in my city were ahead of me. When I finally got this, I was thinking "this better have been worth the wait.
And MY GOD WAS IT. I absolutely love this book. Awad was able to easily get me to sympathise with every character, even the ones with smaller roles. Her writing shoved me right into the story and had me waiting to get back to it any chance I could get. It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and suspenseful.
The one thing I can say about this that isn't positive is that this doesn't feel like a horror novel at all.
In the end, what I great start to my reading of 2024 and it makes me have high hopes for all of Awad's other novels!
Final Score: 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Gore
lizzyreadz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Mirrors, moisturizing and murderous spa demons! This was a slow burn thriller that delivers a punch in the end. At the heart is a complicated love story between a Mother & Daughter. Nicely done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Body horror
Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Gore, and Self harm
rosierosereads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, and Grief
nosleepbee's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
Minor: Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gore
ohennui's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, and Gore
dhritigupta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
what i loved:
- the motifs and imagery
- the PROLOGUE
- mona awad’s incredibly clever word choices/word-play
- exploration of messy mother-daughter relationships and motherhood in general
- how she touched on the horrors of bipoc girlhood (though a bit triggering at times)
- unpacking how skincare reveres whiteness and the problems with how it’s marketed as self-care
- belle’s chaotic bisexuality
didn’t love:
- hud hudson
- how so many questions were left unanswered,,,like i do think some parts should be left a mystery, but i’d love some more clarity about noelle’s past, and i have soooo many questions abt the spa members
- the ending felt a little too neat
- the motifs and imagery
- the PROLOGUE
- mona awad’s incredibly clever word choices/word-play
- exploration of messy mother-daughter relationships and motherhood in general
- how she touched on the horrors of bipoc girlhood (though a bit triggering at times)
- unpacking how skincare reveres whiteness and the problems with how it’s marketed as self-care
- belle’s chaotic bisexuality
didn’t love:
- hud hudson
- how so many questions were left unanswered,,,like i do think some parts should be left a mystery, but i’d love some more clarity about noelle’s past, and i have soooo many questions abt the spa members
- the ending felt a little too neat
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
_bailey_reads_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book was mind-bending, bone chilling, and the perfect level of creep for someone just getting into horror.
Even though I barely had any grasp of what what happening most of the time I could not put it down! It was gripping! I am sad it’s over!
Totally made me think of looking in a mirror in a whole new way!
Mona Awad highlights the perils of vanity to the max! I loved every second!
Even though I barely had any grasp of what what happening most of the time I could not put it down! It was gripping! I am sad it’s over!
Totally made me think of looking in a mirror in a whole new way!
Mona Awad highlights the perils of vanity to the max! I loved every second!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief
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