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the writing was impressive, the characters and their development smooth and spiralling like a vortex of water. their decline was obvious, yet so gradual and gracious that later one is left wondering, how could it come to this? how could the same characters that felt new and strange and beautifully secretive at the beginning, discussing greek prepositions in the library, become so fucked up and alien?
i went into this book expecting dark academia, a romantic murder accompanied by sweet greek verses and justified with latin proverbs. well, this was dark academia - for maybe the first hundred pages. after that it turned into a sort of psychological thriller but filled with alcohol and drugs, homer and thoroughly morally grey characters that had no sense of reality and being, in a sleepy town that felt as wicked and grey as its inhabitants.
i lost the book's story line and supposed purpose out of sight rather quickly - the time richard got pneumonia, to be exact. that was the first "what am i reading?"-moment of many yet to come.
and still, i found myself reading for hours straight, leisurely, curious and enticed. a little confused, a little enthralled.
this book was as unpredictable as life itself, and as tempting as a cult.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Blood, Alcohol
Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Vomit, Antisemitism, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Grief, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Sexism
Minor: Rape
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual content