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tormlen's review
dark
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I have lots of mixed feelings on this one. First, READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE YOU READ THIS IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE. I will say that the trigger warnings prepared me for much, but not how borderline hatefully this author writes fat people. I hated the character of the mother, Bethany. She felt evil and two dimensional, a monster, not a flawed human. It does not help that the author uses her size to illustrate her monstrosity every chance he gets. I got so sick of hearing about "her bulk." We get it; she's fat! It doesn't make her any more or less of a monster. That's all in her actions. The story of how she gains her weight also doesn't feel believable to me, and I feel like the choice of porridge was intended to just make it feel even grosser. It would have been nice to have a foil for her, a fat person who is actually likable. Granted, that would mean having more than one likable human character in the book.
That aside, parts of this book moved fast, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the setting. The story was engaging. I actually don't mind that the 'gets is abandoned once they board the Trieste. The disease is part of the bait. Some of the imagery in this book is very creepy and strong. However, be prepared as they can also be pretty disturbing.
The weakest part of this book is probably the characters. Other than Luke, everyone feels pretty flat. Despite this flatness, Al is actually the only human character I liked. Of course, the dog is also endearing, but that's kind of a cop out. What happens to the dog was horribly sad. I almost cried.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I can partially understand why. The scare factor is really high, the writing (when not fat-shaming) is decent, and the story was really engaging. I actually did not guess the ending, so that's cool. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially if he can actually write diverse body types in a way that does not feel demonizing.
That aside, parts of this book moved fast, and I couldn't put it down. I loved the setting. The story was engaging. I actually don't mind that the 'gets is abandoned once they board the Trieste. The disease is part of the bait. Some of the imagery in this book is very creepy and strong. However, be prepared as they can also be pretty disturbing.
The weakest part of this book is probably the characters. Other than Luke, everyone feels pretty flat. Despite this flatness, Al is actually the only human character I liked. Of course, the dog is also endearing, but that's kind of a cop out. What happens to the dog was horribly sad. I almost cried.
I know a lot of people love this book, and I can partially understand why. The scare factor is really high, the writing (when not fat-shaming) is decent, and the story was really engaging. I actually did not guess the ending, so that's cool. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially if he can actually write diverse body types in a way that does not feel demonizing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Fatphobia, Incest, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death
Minor: Eating disorder
The eating disorder is implied and horribly written. While the character's behavior pattern could be symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder, it's never explicitly said and feels extremely unrealistic. I would be shocked if the author actually researched Binge Eating Disorder much at all.finleyfrogreads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Confinement, Death, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Murder, Sexual assault, and Vomit
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