Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

55 reviews

jkpiowa's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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kerishma's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes

5.0


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ciarabeth99's review

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dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Loved the premise but found the writing flat and the characters shallow and underdeveloped

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violetjean4's review

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mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A great commentary on “clean beauty” and identity 

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kemmett01's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • 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

2.75


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embringaling's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • 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

4.0


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peteypatchy's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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autumn_alwaysreadingseason's review

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4.0

What did I just read?!

Our narrator was a very talented pianist, trained in a unique way by her parents. She was recruited to study at a prestigious conservatory, where she received acclaim. But after one of her recitals, something happens to her parents and she quits the piano altogether. Now she's working in a restaurant, until a woman comes in offering her a job at an exclusive natural beauty store called Holistik. And then we go completely off the rails. 

The imagery and body horror is so vivid. As the narrator sees her body and the appearance of others change because of Holistik products, the reader is given immense detail. And when the treatments go wrong, we are subject to the horrifying results. There's a creepy farm out in the woods where the products are made that feels so surreal. The store has an area called the Zoo that nobody is allowed in. 

Victor is truly evil. I didn't exactly understand his motivations as explained, but it doesn't really matter. The way he recruited girls and planned their indoctrination into his empire for years was nauseating. Everything comes together and the reader realizes who he was preying on and how methodically he planned. Also, Saje is delusional and I don't feel bad for her at all. 

What a way to end 2023. 



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arayo's review

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dark funny tense fast-paced
  • 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

5.0


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suereadsslow's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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