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lennatheunicorncat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Minor: Mental illness, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Murder
werewolvesnotswearwolves's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Classism, Gore, Violence, Bullying, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
blkunicorn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Grief, Animal death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism and Blood
dernhelms_bag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcoholism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Abandonment, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Lesbophobia, Body horror, and Eating disorder
jmross10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
At 3/4 the way through I guessed the ending and probably would have DNF’d if I hadn’t been curious enough to see if I was right. I was, for the record, but it was so anticlimactic that being right wasn’t even satisfying. I wish I’d read something else instead.
To me, this reads as more of a domestic thriller (that just happened to be in a school) than it does dark academia (I know opinions on what this actually entails vary). The plot was familiar in that I basically read the same thing earlier this year and Lee didn’t add anything to it that made it feel new or worthwhile.
I wish Lee had leaned into the Supernatural aspect more because the story of the witches and the mystery surrounding their murders would have been a far more interesting than what we actually get.
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Animal death, Gaslighting, Murder, Vomit, Alcohol, Violence, Grief, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
katsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“The question isn't whether magic is real. It's whether I can touch it without being consumed by it.”
This book was alright. The dark academia vibes were spooky and fun. The fact that there was absolutely zero characters that were men was delightful. I didn't fully realize until the very end but every character either identifies as a woman or nonbinary. Loved that representation! I also really liked when the writing got a little meta. However, I found it slightly annoying when the author said something to the extent of "she touched me and I felt a tingle go down my spine" for the 50th time. Like find a new description, please. But ultimately, the atmosphere was this book's saving grace, for sure. The writing and plot weren't terrible. I found different parts intriguing but the first two-thirds or so were kind of slow. It really picked up in the last third but by then I had predicted a major plot twist so when it happened, it didn't impact me the way I expect it was meant to. If YA thrillers and dark academia are your jam, you'd probably enjoy this more than I did.
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Blood, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Bullying, and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Sexual content, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Cursing
elizabethdove's review against another edition
Bestt described by this lovely fourth wall wink nod from the protagonist, talking about her thesis.
“Mostly how depictions of mental illness are used to build suspense by introducing uncertainty and a sense of mistrust, especially with regard to the narrator’s perception of events, and the conflation of magic and madness in female characters.”
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting
bookishgoob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual content, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Gore
cianarae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, and Death
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Drug use, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Addiction
Minor: Racism, Transphobia, Suicide, Alcoholism, Classism, Vomit, Cursing, and Confinement
writteninthebooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting and Mental illness
Moderate: Death