A review by nicoleisalwaysreading
Perish by LaToya Watkins

challenging dark emotional sad 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

2.5

a haunting, horrific story of abuse and the way it repeats itself and echoes through a family. It’s well-written with complex characters, but the content was very hard to stomach, especially towards the end (as in, I literally felt sick the last 50 pages or so) another note is that it became very confusing to keep track of the family members because their voices were not very distinct 

I didn’t feel that it resolved itself narratively and the shock ending felt ridiculous. It’s just hard because the story of trauma and potential healing/breaking free of generational patterns is important, but this story left me feeling hopeless

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

every. single. content. warning.