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nineinchnails's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
it definitely could have been condensed just a little because "no plot just vibes" isn't much of an exaggeration and i'm not sure how it managed to be 500+ pages long but i can enjoy a slow book when i like the writing. the ending did feel slightly anticlimactic but it was more bittersweet than anything else to me. not sure if i would recommend this because the it really is slow but i definitely enjoyed this!!
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Alcoholism, War, Biphobia, and Child death
Maternal mortality/Death during childbirthmeowata's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide attempt and Terminal illness
mrsdragon'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
3.5
The author uses flashbacks and dual story lines to slowly dole out information and uses that mechanic well to up the intrigue and the mystery of the book. Unfortunately, sometimes she got so wrapped up in the details that even I started to wish she would move it along already. There were also "mysteries" that were so obvious it was painful how long it took for the truth to be recognized/explained.
I was here for the "dark mysterious god of the woods, maybe devil, kinda conjured from your drawing" trope, but aspects of Addie's relationship with the dark seemed forced, illogical, or contradictory. Despite the prose, there was a heavy-handed bit of "telling instead of showing".
And then there's the fact that while the main story follows Addie, a large chunk of the story follows another main character who is never mentioned in the jacket descriptions which...isn't really *wrong* but did seem weird.
The author also sets up a narrative device within the story that mimics the structure of the book (clever!) but which makes the first couple of chapters in the last section seem weirdly navel-gazey and self-referential. And the final chapter left me...sad.
I also just, generally had a lot of questions about
That said, the conceit was a fun one, the "holes" the author found in the curse, she did a fabulous job with how the dark both granted and twisted wishes in a way that felt both natural and inevitable once the downsides were understood.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Child death, War, Death of parent, Addiction, and Sexual content
thirza_joy'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: War, Drug use, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Addiction
jtimog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Addiction
alivotta's review against another edition
- 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, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content
starreadss's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Alcoholism
agooding's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Drug use
Minor: War
smleeth93's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, War, and Sexual violence
Minor: Addiction
rsugg'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: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: War and Abandonment