Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester

7 reviews

c0rpsekat's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

MORE QUEER FOCUSED HORROR PLEASE !! this book is so dark , gorgeous , and cherishable !!! the most beautifully written experience i've had the pleasure to read . i truly felt anxious and scared as i lived DEEP in this universe Kristi DeMeester created , but i also felt such sadness , love , and sympathy for the characters and their stories . Lila and Caroline are not only my favorite characters i've read , but ones that will stick with me in every day of my life . as a queer , afab trans person who came out at around Lila's age raised by a single mother who recently passed away ... wow . this book spoke to me in ways i never knew a horror novel could . an absolutely chilling , sorrowful , and astounding ride .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Grief, Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Death, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Body horror, Bullying, Sexism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Drug use, and Drug abuse

aparker89's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Body horror, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, Torture, Child death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Chronic illness, Dementia, and Pregnancy

oliviavm8's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully written. I felt the grief and sadness radiating through this book. As a woman who has been subjected to abuse by a man- this book hit me deeply in places I tend to keep hidden. It took a while for me to fully understand and grasp the concept of the book but when I did it hit so deep within me. Ugh, so raw and emotional- absolutely loved it. Five star book for me- any woman should read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Body horror, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

szyca's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexism, Animal death, Mental illness, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, and Grief

cjblates's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Terminal illness, Child death, and Sexual violence

kaylaramoutar's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

thereserose's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book is strange and uncomfortable, but so good. 

 

There were so many scenes where my mind felt like it was coming undone along with the characters. I loved the visceral and gory descriptions. This book was a true horror novel, not a thriller. 

 

Unreliable narrators, unsettling scenes, and a whole lot of feminism. At times a little too on the nose, but still a book I’d recommend! 

 

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Dementia, Violence, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Vomit