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A review by katherinevarga
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There were many things about this book I absolutely loved, including
-Hollywood & rich people on social media satire
-dark academia / queer girls at boarding school at turn of the century
-wordplay, footnotes, and illustrations
-a "Truly Devious" trilogy (jumping between past and present; quirky characters) meets "Dawson's Creek Halloween specials" (meta-awareness, clear love of horror movies) vibe
-examination of how social media / constant surveillance impacts our ability to distinguish reality from artifice; what it means "to be rather than to seem"
This was such a blast to read, although ultimately I'm not sure what to take away from it plot-wise. It's a great book to read for atmosphere and voice; less so if you want a clear narrative with a satisfying conclusion. Many lesbian characters die which gave me pause at first ("why am i reading about girls being attacked by yellowjackets during a pandemic and fascist insurrection?") but once I accepted that as part of the horror aesthetic I was able to enjoy this as spooky weird escapism.
-Hollywood & rich people on social media satire
-dark academia / queer girls at boarding school at turn of the century
-wordplay, footnotes, and illustrations
-a "Truly Devious" trilogy (jumping between past and present; quirky characters) meets "Dawson's Creek Halloween specials" (meta-awareness, clear love of horror movies) vibe
-examination of how social media / constant surveillance impacts our ability to distinguish reality from artifice; what it means "to be rather than to seem"
This was such a blast to read, although ultimately I'm not sure what to take away from it plot-wise. It's a great book to read for atmosphere and voice; less so if you want a clear narrative with a satisfying conclusion. Many lesbian characters die which gave me pause at first ("why am i reading about girls being attacked by yellowjackets during a pandemic and fascist insurrection?") but once I accepted that as part of the horror aesthetic I was able to enjoy this as spooky weird escapism.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault