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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love epistolary. Whether it's a story told through a character's journal entries like Michelle Paver's [b:Dark Matter|8350864|Dark Matter|Michelle Paver|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504563569l/8350864._SY75_.jpg|13203928] or the blog posts of Ted's Caving Page (honestly a must read for any horror fan), I am all about getting into a character's head by what they choose to write. It's one step removed from first-person narration, but manages to highlight the values of that character because they're not going to jot down every passing thought. Instead we only get the important bits, or what that character considers to be important which is just as telling.
With that caveat, I was probably always going to like this book. (That, and I'm a sucker for really long book titles.) The titular story used to be sold as a standalone book that I was never able to get my hands on, but has since been reissued as this version with two unrelated short stories at the end. This was a pretty polarizing story that had a lot of buzz around it, and I honestly went into it a little apprehensive because of how many reviews I saw mentioning how dark and disturbing they found it. Now that I'm on the other side myself, I think this is a case of a horror book getting too popular for its own good and getting dinged by people who don't usually give the genre a chance.
Yes there's animal abuse. Yes there's body mutilation. Yes there's unsettling situations I would never ever in a million years want to experience for myself. But I've already seen that in other books before and seen way worse.
In an attempt to stop being so vague while also trying not to spoil anything, at root is a very intense dom-sub relationship between two queer women who have only ever interacted through emails and instant messaging. Boundaries are pushed and both sides ultimately go too far, with disturbing results. If anything it left me more bummed out than rattled because it 1) seemed way too plausible as something that could actually happen and 2) reminded me a lot of a real-world situation that happened in 2018 in the gay community I won't go into, but others might remember the "Noodles and Beef" incident.
Similarly, the two short stories at the end of this particular printing also left me feeling more gloomy than spooked. All three stories had themes of people yearning for connections (and I was happy to see the author's afterword pointing that out), and how far people would go to put themselves into danger just to be noticed by someone else, let alone be loved. It's easy to sit back and scoff at what these people were doing, but at low points of my own life (or maybe even lower points yet to come), whose to say I wouldn't be as desperate? That's kind of horrifying in its own way.
Not exactly the kind of horror book that gave me the goosebumps I was looking for, but it was certainly unlike anything else I'd ever read, and it did leave me feeling something after finishing it. Definitely can't say that about every read.
With that caveat, I was probably always going to like this book. (That, and I'm a sucker for really long book titles.) The titular story used to be sold as a standalone book that I was never able to get my hands on, but has since been reissued as this version with two unrelated short stories at the end. This was a pretty polarizing story that had a lot of buzz around it, and I honestly went into it a little apprehensive because of how many reviews I saw mentioning how dark and disturbing they found it. Now that I'm on the other side myself, I think this is a case of a horror book getting too popular for its own good and getting dinged by people who don't usually give the genre a chance.
Yes there's animal abuse. Yes there's body mutilation. Yes there's unsettling situations I would never ever in a million years want to experience for myself. But I've already seen that in other books before and seen way worse.
In an attempt to stop being so vague while also trying not to spoil anything, at root is a very intense dom-sub relationship between two queer women who have only ever interacted through emails and instant messaging. Boundaries are pushed and both sides ultimately go too far, with disturbing results. If anything it left me more bummed out than rattled because it 1) seemed way too plausible as something that could actually happen and 2) reminded me a lot of a real-world situation that happened in 2018 in the gay community I won't go into, but others might remember the "Noodles and Beef" incident.
Similarly, the two short stories at the end of this particular printing also left me feeling more gloomy than spooked. All three stories had themes of people yearning for connections (and I was happy to see the author's afterword pointing that out), and how far people would go to put themselves into danger just to be noticed by someone else, let alone be loved. It's easy to sit back and scoff at what these people were doing, but at low points of my own life (or maybe even lower points yet to come), whose to say I wouldn't be as desperate? That's kind of horrifying in its own way.
Not exactly the kind of horror book that gave me the goosebumps I was looking for, but it was certainly unlike anything else I'd ever read, and it did leave me feeling something after finishing it. Definitely can't say that about every read.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke:
I read this novella a few years ago when it first came out and I still really enjoy it. The format is unique for a published novel yet still very well written. While I wish it was longer (when do I not lol), it does a good job at portraying what being desperate for connection can lead to. Both of the main characters are looking for someone to understand them and to take care of/ take care of them. They find that in each other, but it is still not enough. Agnes is desperate for more than what Zoe can give her through an online, long-distance relationship. Desperate for love and connection so much so that she lets it consume her life even after Zoe begged her to stop.
I read this novella a few years ago when it first came out and I still really enjoy it. The format is unique for a published novel yet still very well written. While I wish it was longer (when do I not lol), it does a good job at portraying what being desperate for connection can lead to. Both of the main characters are looking for someone to understand them and to take care of/ take care of them. They find that in each other, but it is still not enough. Agnes is desperate for more than what Zoe can give her through an online, long-distance relationship. Desperate for love and connection so much so that she lets it consume her life even after Zoe begged her to stop.
"It's not that I felt empty. I think all of us feel empty most of the time and we merely pretend to fill the vacuum with laughter, crying, apologies -- anything to make us feel human. I think I felt like what an astronaut feels like when they hurtle toward earth in a tiny prison chamber, flames eating away at their vessel as they enter our atmosphere... It's because the planet is a carnivore and just wants to be fed. People want that as well. People like to eat other people. I spent so many years forgetting I had teeth, too."
"He cranks up his window and speeds off down the lane. And as I'm left standing there with the squeezed out remains of that dead cat, I wonder to myself, "Does it matter? Does any of this really matter?" The answer's no. The answer's always been no."
The Enchantment:
I love religious horror, what can I say. Exploring the premise of how people would react if there was scientific evidence introduced that showed the afterlife does not exist is such a cool premise. I can imagine how profoundly it would effect the world and different people. The novella was interesting, but I do think it had major weak spots in the character development. I would have easily eaten up 200 more pages exploring the grief and struggle of the characters.
You'll Find It's Like That All Over:
This one was very short, but I enjoyed the moral of the story. Wasn't the most unique set up I have ever read, but it knew what it wanted to say and said exactly that.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced