A review by ohsarajay
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

4.25

An excellent, tense, exciting book. The twists kept coming and they didn't stop coming and I never had any idea what was happening. I do find myself sceptical of the self-stated theme of compassion because I feel it was a lot less prominent than it thought it was. Especially with aspects of the ending, but maybe I also feel so strongly about it because I found the descriptions of the fat character (Ravencourt) so off putting and viscerally fatphobic. The premise does lend itself to a very utilitarian view of bodies - "this host can do less than the last one because he's old" - and to an extent all the hosts were categorised that way. But Ravencourt's was really singled out and almost gleefully pulled apart as a body that wasn't just inconvenient but unbearable and humiliating and shameful. Idk where I'm going with this. But I do think the compassion was pretty scarce and concentrated on few individuals throughout and almost slotted right in with the other twists at the end. Speaking of which
there are so many implications of that final reveal. She was in prison and they let you in to torture her???? And going through this wretched game was someone's idea of rehabilitation???? What kind of dystopian hellscape society sets this up lmao. Also Evelyn's role at the end was bizarre and I choose to pretend we didn't get "maybe the ten year old child was a miserable psychopath who grew up to commit more crimes and deserved to die"
. I came in for a time loop story and this sure delivered, but a very unique flavour of time loop. Much to think about. 
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