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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t mind the first half of this book but the last half was too much for me. I can appreciate how other people could like it but I didn’t enjoy it when it got deep into the story.
Totally engrossing, highly disturbing, otherwordly. The style reminded me of Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides.
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For some reason I read the whole book, but I feel the plot was not all that exiting until the second half of the book. The first half was kind of boring. The concept was interesting, but didn't find it will exicuted.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I think this reading experience may have taught me to do more research on a book before reading it instead of jumping in almost completely blind. The only thing I knew beforehand was the premise, and my expectations were different. I liked the concept of parents purposely deforming their children for financial gain, and based on that premise, I thought this would be a harrowing, character-focused story about the effects of parental abuse.
Although I can't say the story wasn't character-focused, the tone was definitely different from what I imagined. It leaned more into the horror / gore aspect than I would have liked. While there's nothing wrong with a little gore, it seemed every scene in this book contained something more gruesome than the last. This just made the story feel overwhelming and based solely on shock value.
A lot of this book was also incredibly boring. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I liked the present-day storyline more than the family history. I think more frequent switches between the two would have benefited the pacing. The amount of gore and gruesomeness weirdly also contributed to the story being boring—when the author is playing a game of how many gross events she can throw into a single book, the reader becomes desensitized to the initial strong emotions, and it all starts blending together. I was also not a huge fan of the writing style, as it contained many superfluous descriptions.
Although I can't say the story wasn't character-focused, the tone was definitely different from what I imagined. It leaned more into the horror / gore aspect than I would have liked. While there's nothing wrong with a little gore, it seemed every scene in this book contained something more gruesome than the last. This just made the story feel overwhelming and based solely on shock value.
A lot of this book was also incredibly boring. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I liked the present-day storyline more than the family history. I think more frequent switches between the two would have benefited the pacing. The amount of gore and gruesomeness weirdly also contributed to the story being boring—when the author is playing a game of how many gross events she can throw into a single book, the reader becomes desensitized to the initial strong emotions, and it all starts blending together. I was also not a huge fan of the writing style, as it contained many superfluous descriptions.
Bizarre read in the best possible way. This story brings you into the dark corners behind the scenes of a freak show, melding the past with the present to provide a great tale. Definitely a book I plan to reread
First read in July 2007. Rereading in October 2012 for a class.
Too much body mutilation and psychological control through what feels like a warped evangelical level manipulation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse
challenging
dark
tense