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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the sort of book that will stick with you so long after the final page - and deserves to be thought about endlessly.
A deep, unsettling, and incredibly moving character portrait that provides excellent social commentary wrapped up in some beautiful writing.
I loved the parallels between Ansel's troubled past and the different traumas of the women in his orbit - and the different choices they make in similar circumstances.
I also loved the twisting of Ansel's theory about alternate universes to give life to his victims, exploring alternate worlds where they were allowed to live their lives.
Finally, the unreliable narration from Ansel and his own self-perception (in second person - v cool choice) contrasted with other's perceptions of both him and his actions was brilliantly done, and really hammered home that sense of white male mediocrity.
My only tiny complaint is, whilst this book makes some nuanced, accurate, and well-written critiques of the criminal justice system (particularly from Saffy's perspective), the critiques of the system from Ansel's perspective inside prison seemed slightly out of his (self-centred) character.
A deep, unsettling, and incredibly moving character portrait that provides excellent social commentary wrapped up in some beautiful writing.
I loved the parallels between Ansel's troubled past and the different traumas of the women in his orbit - and the different choices they make in similar circumstances.
I also loved the twisting of Ansel's theory about alternate universes to give life to his victims, exploring alternate worlds where they were allowed to live their lives.
Finally, the unreliable narration from Ansel and his own self-perception (in second person - v cool choice) contrasted with other's perceptions of both him and his actions was brilliantly done, and really hammered home that sense of white male mediocrity.
My only tiny complaint is, whilst this book makes some nuanced, accurate, and well-written critiques of the criminal justice system (particularly from Saffy's perspective), the critiques of the system from Ansel's perspective inside prison seemed slightly out of his (self-centred) character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, Abandonment
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i liked this book at the start, but unfortunately in the end it WHOLLY missed the mark for me and feels more like it fell victim to the very system its trying to criticize. it tries so hard to be some sort sort of feminist empowering story trying to tell the story of female victims in a male-dominated world, but it just...doesnt? it barely scratches the surface of any real problems that women face, more so just laying flat the fact that men will often do bad things to women for the sole reason that they can and often will get away with it without trying to look into the characters beyond a surface level.
this story tried to be victim forward, but it simply could NEVER be that: the victims are a footnote to the man who murders them, two of which each only get a PARAGRAPH each in the last chapter of the book, whereas the story goes to lengths to describe the man who kills them, ansel, to us. we get his backstory, from his sad beginning to his end, which gives him absolution. like...what?
not only that, but the characters are so woefully flat. jenny and hazel are stereotypically written twins, two ofthe victims are hardly mentioned, lila is sparsely written about, lavender is a horrible mother, rachel is a character solely in name, and blue is just...there.
this book felt like it boiled down to 'all men are bad and all women are good' without trying to look into the reasons WHY ansel felt like he could do the things he did. im also sick and tired of stories like this having the main character be a psychopath. its such a horrible stereotype.
i did enjoy the authors writing style, but this story was simply horribly executed.
this story tried to be victim forward, but it simply could NEVER be that: the victims are a footnote to the man who murders them, two of which each only get a PARAGRAPH each in the last chapter of the book, whereas the story goes to lengths to describe the man who kills them, ansel, to us. we get his backstory, from his sad beginning to his end, which gives him absolution. like...what?
not only that, but the characters are so woefully flat. jenny and hazel are stereotypically written twins, two ofthe victims are hardly mentioned, lila is sparsely written about, lavender is a horrible mother, rachel is a character solely in name, and blue is just...there.
this book felt like it boiled down to 'all men are bad and all women are good' without trying to look into the reasons WHY ansel felt like he could do the things he did. im also sick and tired of stories like this having the main character be a psychopath. its such a horrible stereotype.
i did enjoy the authors writing style, but this story was simply horribly executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I appreciated that for once I didn’t feel like the author was trying to make me empathise so hard with the murderer. Hazel’s last reflections in particular really touched me.
I enjoyed the book!
I enjoyed the book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"The love between sisters was not the sort of thing she'd read about in books or swooned over in movies. It embodied a category all in itself, a quiet knowing that swam in her veins, even when Jenny was miles away. Sister love was like food, or air, or memory itself. It was molecular. The very stuff of her. But it was not a love she chose, and for this, Hazel would always resent the part of herself that feared- maybe hoped- that she would never love anyone quite the way she loved Jenny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Racism, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Stalking, Death of parent
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was dark, disturbing, and thought-provoking. It shifted the spotlight off the killer and onto the women—those he hurt, those who survived him, and those shaped by him.
It was a very emotional look at the ripple effects of violence and how we continue to overlook victims in favor of their killers.
I loved the author’s writing style and the way this story forced me to reflect on how society treats victims and perpetrators of violence.
It was a very emotional look at the ripple effects of violence and how we continue to overlook victims in favor of their killers.
I loved the author’s writing style and the way this story forced me to reflect on how society treats victims and perpetrators of violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Misogyny, Stalking, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death