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A review by pages_with_panda
Carved From the Heart by McKenna Cross
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.0
Candace is a witch who's bad at magic, unable to get a job in the "civilian" world or the magical world because everyone has it out for her.
When she was 17, her mother decided to create a sentient pumpkin and give it to her daughter to carve to help her feel better after failing her magical exams. The family kept the pumpkin, named Paul, for 13 years and bring him out every Halloween. Candace begins to confide it after all her failures, and it learns to talk after so many years.
It enlists the help of Candace's brother to give it a voice and a penis (not a body mind you, just a dick), and convinces Candace to "use" him.
Paul becomes Candace's toy/boyfriend and she practices her magic while creating a body for him.
Nothing else really happens; the story is pretty short with about 90 pages. The main character is a Mary Sue with absolutely nothing interesting about her. The writing was dull and the world was boring. The dialogue was awkward and unrealistic. And if I hear about checks stinging one more time....
There were random details added about characters but nothing actually interesting. Why does the 30-year old protag live with her parents? Why did we get a paragraphs about her 17 year old brother but nothing really about her? Why keep a pumpkin around for 13 years and not wonder why it's not rotting?
Also, not really a "shifter" story. More like a Frankensteinian "build-a-boyfriend" story since Paul only exists to be a mate for Candace.
Two sex scenes - one with Paul as a pumpkin and one with his new human body.
0/5.
Follow me on Twitter/Instagram/Tiktok for more reviews: @PagesWithPanda
When she was 17, her mother decided to create a sentient pumpkin and give it to her daughter to carve to help her feel better after failing her magical exams. The family kept the pumpkin, named Paul, for 13 years and bring him out every Halloween. Candace begins to confide it after all her failures, and it learns to talk after so many years.
It enlists the help of Candace's brother to give it a voice and a penis (not a body mind you, just a dick), and convinces Candace to "use" him.
Paul becomes Candace's toy/boyfriend and she practices her magic while creating a body for him.
Nothing else really happens; the story is pretty short with about 90 pages. The main character is a Mary Sue with absolutely nothing interesting about her. The writing was dull and the world was boring. The dialogue was awkward and unrealistic. And if I hear about checks stinging one more time....
There were random details added about characters but nothing actually interesting. Why does the 30-year old protag live with her parents? Why did we get a paragraphs about her 17 year old brother but nothing really about her? Why keep a pumpkin around for 13 years and not wonder why it's not rotting?
Also, not really a "shifter" story. More like a Frankensteinian "build-a-boyfriend" story since Paul only exists to be a mate for Candace.
Two sex scenes - one with Paul as a pumpkin and one with his new human body.
0/5.
Follow me on Twitter/Instagram/Tiktok for more reviews: @PagesWithPanda
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content