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nekoshka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Cal’s backstory was interesting, if a bit too convoluted. I really wanted to like Pey, but he was just too bland.
Overall, it was dark, unnecessarily sexual and the characters a bit underdeveloped. But not bad.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, and Pregnancy
margaret721's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
soshereads_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Torture, and Abortion
thatswhatshanread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
1. From BOTM’s description and the book’s general marketing, I fully expected this to be a horror/thriller. It was not. It was more just a family drama with a supernatural sort-of twist with half of the book’s POV set in literal Hell.
2. Every time I picked this book up to read it over the last several months, I was bored. The first half of the book seems like it’s going NOWHERE and nothing stuck. The storyline that follows Peyote in Hell seems completely irrelevant to the storyline in present day that follows The Harrison family.
3. But then, it finally picks up. Once I finally pushed myself to get more into it (after almost DNFing many times), something shifted. The stakes changed. Suddenly the Harrison family story is dysfunctional and mysterious and gripping. The Peyote storyline shows potential of intersecting with the other, some interesting twists come about.
4. Still, it’s confusing. I still have no idea how they will connect, just that now Peyote is actually referencing the Harrison family members and their dilemmas.
5. Peyote and Cal’s plot becomes even more confusing and drawn out. But I’m very intrigued with the POVs from the Harrisons’ side.
6. I finish the last 250 pages within a couple days. The pacing finally hit a sweet spot for me. The imminent ending seemed promising; everything would finally make sense.
7. Except… it wasn’t? And it didn’t?
This really felt like two different books in one. In the end, I was still confused, and disappointed in all of that buildup to… what, exactly? I would have rather read about only The Harrisons. But I guess it was entertaining, nonetheless. Something different. Just maybe not the different I wanted it to be.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Pedophilia, Sexism, Stalking, and Abortion
ggreen1379's review
3.5
Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Pedophilia and Terminal illness
maggieparedesauthor's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jaylee_books's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Torture, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
tiffanne11's review
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
kaitthelibrarian's review
- 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
3.0
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, and Pregnancy
krisalexcole's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Blood, Abortion, and Abandonment