Scan barcode
lisapparition's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Miscarriage
megwhitlock's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The characters being so unlikeable and the story being so beyond belief reprehensible is what made this book so good. Hard disagree with those who say you have to identify with the characters or enjoy the plot to love a book. Great dark comedy (plus an unreliable narrator is always a bonus
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Classism, and Racism
mrsmishler's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
vantereads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Racism
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Sexual harassment, Racism, Abortion, Sexual content, and Addiction
Minor: Pregnancy and Pedophilia
mjverrall's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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
4.5
I can’t stop thinking about this book. It left a lot of open ends and questions but in a very intentional way. I couldn’t stop reading even though the characters are all absolutely terrible people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Mental illness, Classism, and Racism
sphinxofblackquartz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racism and Car accident
Minor: Classism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Abortion, Mental illness, and Alcohol
jkar7's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
I really did not like this. I should have DNFed. I did not like any of the characters. I thought the plot was stupid. I didn't enjoy the message (if there is one). And I really disliked the way Beau was discussed. I found the whole thing infuriating. I would never recommend this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, and Toxic relationship
rosa96's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Murder
Moderate: Racism and Violence
juandb's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
A novel whose most enticing element is its plot: two couples meeting at a restaurant to discuss what to do about the horrible act their sons have committed. The complex relationship between the four characters makes the whole affair very entertaining, and it definitely made me want to keep reading till the end. But at the end of the day, I think that's what I'll remember the most from it: that it was entertaining.
Don't get me wrong: the book absolutely accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is to tell an entertaining story that mantains a tense atmosphere throughout. It's not a lifechanger, and it doesn't try to be one. I've read some other reviews that mention how it "makes you reconsider the sort of education we give to our children", and, while I see how one could get that impression, I just don't think the novel explores the subject enough to actually say anything about it. Sure, it describes how witnessing their father being violent could (what a surprise) make a child violent, but that's so obvious that it doesn't even feel like the book is actually saying anything. It feels like reading a book that describes how water freezes at 0°C: no one would call that a "comment on water mechanics"; it's just a fact. Maybe if it hadn't been so direct in how it describes the father's violence, it would have been more effective; but the episodes it narrates are so raw, so exaggeratedly violent, that it almost feels satirical.
Something that I want to mention about the book is how every single character in it (it feels wrong to make such an absolute statement, but I honestly couldn't leave out anyone) is sickeningly immoral. The narrator, his wife, his brother and his sister-in-law. His son as well, and his brothers' two sons. Every single character that has some role in the story is either repugnant from the beginning, or is revealed to be later on. At first I actually thought the narrator's smugness toward his brother would stem from a genuine dislike of his lifestyle and worldview, but both he and his wife are later revealed to be just as crooked. I honestly don't have a problem with reading books with loathsome characters, and this isn't the exception, especially since I got a strong impression that the author was well aware of how horrid they were. I saw the book almost as a window into a world of people with repulsive ideologies, like it was telling me "See? See how awful these people are? The narrator thinks his brother is bad, but in reality he's just as bad as him!"
Overall, as I said, the book is definitely interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone searching for something to grab their attention for a while.
Don't get me wrong: the book absolutely accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is to tell an entertaining story that mantains a tense atmosphere throughout. It's not a lifechanger, and it doesn't try to be one. I've read some other reviews that mention how it "makes you reconsider the sort of education we give to our children", and, while I see how one could get that impression, I just don't think the novel explores the subject enough to actually say anything about it. Sure, it describes how witnessing their father being violent could (what a surprise) make a child violent, but that's so obvious that it doesn't even feel like the book is actually saying anything. It feels like reading a book that describes how water freezes at 0°C: no one would call that a "comment on water mechanics"; it's just a fact. Maybe if it hadn't been so direct in how it describes the father's violence, it would have been more effective; but the episodes it narrates are so raw, so exaggeratedly violent, that it almost feels satirical.
Something that I want to mention about the book is how every single character in it (it feels wrong to make such an absolute statement, but I honestly couldn't leave out anyone) is sickeningly immoral. The narrator, his wife, his brother and his sister-in-law. His son as well, and his brothers' two sons. Every single character that has some role in the story is either repugnant from the beginning, or is revealed to be later on. At first I actually thought the narrator's smugness toward his brother would stem from a genuine dislike of his lifestyle and worldview, but both he and his wife are later revealed to be just as crooked. I honestly don't have a problem with reading books with loathsome characters, and this isn't the exception, especially since I got a strong impression that the author was well aware of how horrid they were. I saw the book almost as a window into a world of people with repulsive ideologies, like it was telling me "See? See how awful these people are? The narrator thinks his brother is bad, but in reality he's just as bad as him!"
Overall, as I said, the book is definitely interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone searching for something to grab their attention for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism