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chloseencounter's reviews
85 reviews
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Living Dead Girl has been on my TBR for so long, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and in the mood to sit down and read an entire book in one sitting so I felt like it was finally time to give this novella a try.
I initially rated this book a 3.5 but the longer I’ve sat with it, the more impact it’s had on me. I’ll say right off the bat that this wasn’t the most “fun” read in the world but the story was gripping and an interesting look into a kidnapping/abuse victim’s psyche.
The way that “Alice” no longer cared about protecting others, she just wanted her own suffering to be over so badly was a bleak but realistic take on living in such a depraved way. Alice really was so deeply manipulated, there was so many times she could’ve gotten away but she was too blinded by her curated reality that she didn’t think it was possible. She was believed so deeply that her captor knew anything and everything even when he was not around.
There was some very interesting commentary in here as well about the bystander effect and how people should really be trying to reach out when they see something they feel may be wrong. There were so many characters outside of Ray’s abuse that could’ve ultimately changed things for Alice. There was even a bit where she mentioned that victims on television were often blamed for not getting out of their situations sooner. People would say things about them like “why didn’t she say anything?” when every time Alice was in public it was a cry for help, even if indirectly, but people choose to look away from what makes them uncomfortable.
When Alice finally showed her humanity at the end of the story it made her all the more tragic and honestly the ending was probably about as good as I could’ve hoped for her. I don’t think there was a world that she could’ve gone back to and lived successfully in but her being able to experience freedom before her death was bitter sweet. I cried when she tried to tell Lucy her name.
Overall, the read was quick and tense, the story itself isn't super plot heavy but if anything this was a very interesting character study. I wouldn’t recommend this read to everyone, it was challenging and raw but that doesn’t mean these subject matters don’t need to be said or heard. This one was really a sleeper hit with me, I finished feeling as if it was well written but too abrupt however the lasting impact this novel has left on me is a lot more than I can say for many books.
I’d lastly like to commend the author on being able to tell a story with a lot of SA in it without having to go into descriptive detail about those actions once…things were alluded to, they were implied, they were said, but they were never broken down for us in a very detailed way. I think this makes the book mean more and feel less like it was created for shock value, as well as making this story more digestible to a larger audience. Just because this kind of stuff really does happen and we should speak about it doesn’t mean that we ever need to write detailed descriptions about non consensual s*xual acts especially between adults and minors. This book definitely proves that there’s a way to say it without saying it.
I initially rated this book a 3.5 but the longer I’ve sat with it, the more impact it’s had on me. I’ll say right off the bat that this wasn’t the most “fun” read in the world but the story was gripping and an interesting look into a kidnapping/abuse victim’s psyche.
The way that “Alice” no longer cared about protecting others, she just wanted her own suffering to be over so badly was a bleak but realistic take on living in such a depraved way. Alice really was so deeply manipulated, there was so many times she could’ve gotten away but she was too blinded by her curated reality that she didn’t think it was possible. She was believed so deeply that her captor knew anything and everything even when he was not around.
There was some very interesting commentary in here as well about the bystander effect and how people should really be trying to reach out when they see something they feel may be wrong.
When Alice finally showed her humanity at the end of the story it made her all the more tragic and honestly the ending was probably about as good as I could’ve hoped for her.
Overall, the read was quick and tense, the story itself isn't super plot heavy but if anything this was a very interesting character study. I wouldn’t recommend this read to everyone, it was challenging and raw but that doesn’t mean these subject matters don’t need to be said or heard. This one was really a sleeper hit with me, I finished feeling as if it was well written but too abrupt however the lasting impact this novel has left on me is a lot more than I can say for many books.
I’d lastly like to commend the author on being able to tell a story with a lot of SA in it without having to go into descriptive detail about those actions once…things were alluded to, they were implied, they were said, but they were never broken down for us in a very detailed way. I think this makes the book mean more and feel less like it was created for shock value, as well as making this story more digestible to a larger audience. Just because this kind of stuff really does happen and we should speak about it doesn’t mean that we ever need to write detailed descriptions about non consensual s*xual acts especially between adults and minors. This book definitely proves that there’s a way to say it without saying it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Confessions by Kanae Minato
dark
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
3.5
Confessions was a fun little read and while it had its problems, I thought some of the ideas used here where very unique. It’s hard to do things that have rarely been done before and I think this novel accomplished that.
The strongest literary device here to me was that this book was the same exact story being told from different POVs multiple times, while this at moments felt a little repetitive I loved that every chapter could be the same events but a completely different story based on the narrator. Every new retelling flipped what you had known previously on its head which made you question each character. There were times where I felt disgust and sympathy toward each person and it all depended on who was talking.
I wasn’t sure how they’d wrap this all up but I think the end was a nice little tie up to the events of the story and ultimately as close to Justice as one could expect in a situation like this.
Overall, this was an interesting read and while it could’ve grabbed me more I did appreciate the use of unique story telling and I’m excited to watch the movie.
The strongest literary device here to me was that this book was the same exact story being told from different POVs multiple times, while this at moments felt a little repetitive I loved that every chapter could be the same events but a completely different story based on the narrator. Every new retelling flipped what you had known previously on its head which made you question each character. There were times where I felt disgust and sympathy toward each person and it all depended on who was talking.
I wasn’t sure how they’d wrap this all up but I think the end was a nice little tie up to the events of the story and ultimately as close to Justice as one could expect in a situation like this.
Overall, this was an interesting read and while it could’ve grabbed me more I did appreciate the use of unique story telling and I’m excited to watch the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Twisted Ones was my second novel by T. Kingfisher, my first being What Moves the Dead. Throughout that story I loved the atmosphere and the style of writing but historical fiction of any kind is just not for me, so I was excited to try something else by her and was not dissatisfied.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening. I am not someone who scares easily but folklore is probably what frightens me the most in books, when the upside down deer head was looking in Mouse’s window while she “slept”, that definitely made me feel anxious.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh. I think it was hard for me to feel scared of Anna because faceless monsters are much more frightening than what we can put a name and description tomorrow . The uncanny valley element of folklore creatures is what makes them scary to me personally so even though I thought Anna was bad news, I wasn’t frightened by her either. I also feel like there wasn’t enough hints leading up to her reveal as a character, I just would’ve liked a little more there for her instead of some vague moments where she was seen and then all of a sudden you’re supposed to care, or be scared, or feel really much of anything toward her. Now what I did like is that Foxy and Mouse kept up. I thought Foxy was a sweet and lovable character and I was definitely afraid she would be killed. I’m glad she survived and that her and Mouse continue their friendship. I also appreciated the open ending, we don’t really know what happened to Anna so she could still be out there. That’s definitely an unnerving thought to be in the back of your mind.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Even though the first half of the book was a bit slow, I really enjoyed getting to know our main character and her dog, as well as the relationships she forms with the people in town. The writing style was fun and even though I did find some small bits sorta…this is not how people talk but how the author imagines is a hip way to speak, I still thought a lot of the narration was humorous and I liked Mouse as a person. I’d definitely want to grab a coffee with her. Also the ongoing bit about NPR pledge week was hysterical.
I must say I did think some parts of this book where frightening.
The ending was where things kinda flipped for me but I didn’t hate it either, some bits where good and some bits felt meh.
Overall this was a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys folklore, a good mystery, tense but not too scary or gory, and some fun characters with good humor even in the face of horror. I’ll definitely be trying something else by T. Kingfisher in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Stalking, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Night of the Mannequins was one of the shortest stories on my TBR so I decided to throw it in to my Halloween reads and this was probably the worst book I’ve read in awhile. I actually really wanted to DNF it but I hate to do that especially to a novel that’s only roughly 140 pages, so I stuck it out and it was all pretty lackluster.
The description of the book sounds so fun and interesting, I think this could have been a fun teen romp slasher style but truthfully it was only a psychotic boy’s ramblings. I disliked the main character so much that just having him narrate the book was sort of irritating. Also for a book seemingly advertised as a slasher, every kill was the exact same which isn’t very interesting or fun. I feel like if you’re gonna do it, take it all the way and make it way more gory and ridiculous. If the author did that, I think this could’ve been more enjoyable but mostly it was just boring and for such a short novel, felt repetitive.
I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you’re super desperate for a short story, it was mostly unexciting and unremarkable.
The description of the book sounds so fun and interesting, I think this could have been a fun teen romp slasher style
I wouldn’t recommend this one unless you’re super desperate for a short story, it was mostly unexciting and unremarkable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing and Stalking
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Devil Crept In was my first Ania Ahlborn read and while I wasn’t totally in love, I enjoy her writing style enough to read more from her. (Most likely Brother because that seems to be the one people talk up)
This book was a little slow pace for my liking, I really struggled to get through the first half of it when usually a book this length would maybe take me three days at the most, but once the plot picked up around the 50% mark I finished it very quickly.
There were a lot of things about this story that I liked. The atmosphere was great, very creepy and gritty, parts of it definitely made me feel gross to read.
I enjoyed Stevie as our main narrator (I love the unreliable narrator trope) and I thought it was very effective that we saw things from his POV and how frustrating it was when no one would listen to him or take the time to understand him. It’s horrific to feel as if you have something very important to say and not have the ability to express it, though this is a reality a lot of people face. It was sad to see the way in which every adult in Stevie’s life failed him, culminating to one major tragic event that ultimately he will bear the burden for.
I did think making the creature kind of a monster and kind of a disabled person was a little on the nose but I saw what Ania was getting at there, I’m just not sure it was 100% successful in its delivery.
I enjoyed the ending too though I understand why it wouldn’t be for everyone. I like an ambiguous end and though I was sad that Stevie got no Justice for the unfair life he lived, sometimes unfairness is just the truth of things and that’s the scariest possibility of all. My only complaint about the ending is that while I liked the man moving into the town afterward sorta setting up shop in the trauma he caused in order to find his next victim, I really wish we got to know more about that bit of the story. Rosie running into this man and then having a one night stand with the devil is a huge plot point but is nothing more than a few sentences here and there. I would’ve liked to hear more about the experience from Rosie’s POV and her grappling with the fact that she may have had sex with Satan and birthed his offspring. I mean, that seems pretty significant.
This was a solid read. It was gritty, challenging, tense, sad, dark, and unnerving, but I wouldn’t suggest this novel for everyone, I think the level of bleakness and ambiguity would be a hard sell for most. However I’m excited to see what else Ania Ahlborn has to offer.
This book was a little slow pace for my liking, I really struggled to get through the first half of it when usually a book this length would maybe take me three days at the most, but once the plot picked up around the 50% mark I finished it very quickly.
There were a lot of things about this story that I liked. The atmosphere was great, very creepy and gritty, parts of it definitely made me feel gross to read.
I enjoyed Stevie as our main narrator (I love the unreliable narrator trope) and I thought it was very effective that we saw things from his POV and how frustrating it was when no one would listen to him or take the time to understand him. It’s horrific to feel as if you have something very important to say and not have the ability to express it, though this is a reality a lot of people face. It was sad to see the way in which every adult in Stevie’s life failed him,
I did think making the creature kind of a monster and kind of a disabled person was a little on the nose but I saw what Ania was getting at there, I’m just not sure it was 100% successful in its delivery.
I enjoyed the ending too though I understand why it wouldn’t be for everyone.
This was a solid read. It was gritty, challenging, tense, sad, dark, and unnerving, but I wouldn’t suggest this novel for everyone, I think the level of bleakness and ambiguity would be a hard sell for most. However I’m excited to see what else Ania Ahlborn has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Car accident
Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I had a lot of hope for Stolen Tongues starting out, and I really do think the first 20% of the book was super strong and had some genuinely scary moments sprinkled throughout. I haven’t often had books legitimately scare me but the first bit was very freaky.
My few problems with this novel where the repetition near the home stretch, lack of communication between characters (tbh neither of our main characters where likable at all in my opinion and Felix really came off as a pseudo intellectual), as well as a pretty low impact ending considering the huge build up. Generally this book could of really benefited from an editor because it was just way too long to be saying the same things over and over.
I will say, however, there was some very scary and unnerving moments that made the read worth it for me. I think that the common remark I’m seeing is “this is a really good creepy pasta but just an okay novel” and again, I think an editor could’ve really taken this to another level.
Fun read, and worth the time spent even though I did finish slightly underwhelmed.
My few problems with this novel where the repetition near the home stretch, lack of communication between characters (tbh neither of our main characters where likable at all in my opinion and Felix really came off as a pseudo intellectual), as well as a pretty low impact ending considering the huge build up. Generally this book could of really benefited from an editor because it was just way too long to be saying the same things over and over.
I will say, however, there was some very scary and unnerving moments that made the read worth it for me. I think that the common remark I’m seeing is “this is a really good creepy pasta but just an okay novel” and again, I think an editor could’ve really taken this to another level.
Fun read, and worth the time spent even though I did finish slightly underwhelmed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lock Every Door was my first Riley Sager novel, I have heard pretty polarizing opinions on his books so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but this story gripped me so quickly and didn’t let me go until I finished.
The most standout thing in Lock Every Door for me was the setting, something about an historic apartment building in NYC with a cast of eccentric tenants really enthralled me. I usually dislike romance in books as well but even the short lived romance in this story was so tense and exciting that I really didn’t mind.
There was a lot of moments I wanted to scream at our main character for ignoring so many red flags and making so many stupid decisions. I really wanted good things for her and was practically begging her in my mind to stop digging. At the same time I definitely appreciate a girl driven by her sense of Justice and strong morals. Then factoring in her financial situation, she had very little opportunity to get out of this situation.
I never guessed the ending for a second I was all in on the devil worship theory, when Jules realized what Greta had written in all the books about the girl’s “youth keeping her young” or whatever, I totally thought she was leeching their energy or something. I actually wasn’t fully convinced Nick was in on it at all until Ingrid said he was in her apartment I enjoyed how blindsided I was by the big reveal, I am rarely thrown off guard by mystery/thriller/horror anymore.
My only complaint is I don’t think the ending was 100% perfect but it wasn’t unsatisfactory either, so this was still a pretty solid read for me. I’d just argue that the first 80% of this book was stronger than the last 20%.
Overall a very fun read that I devoured in less than two days. I was definitely enthralled with this mystery and really wanted to know what the hell was happening enough to absolutely tear through it, so I think that means it was an overall successful read.
The most standout thing in Lock Every Door for me was the setting, something about an historic apartment building in NYC with a cast of eccentric tenants really enthralled me. I usually dislike romance in books as well but even the short lived romance in this story was so tense and exciting that I really didn’t mind.
There was a lot of moments I wanted to scream at our main character for ignoring so many red flags and making so many stupid decisions. I really wanted good things for her and was practically begging her in my mind to stop digging. At the same time I definitely appreciate a girl driven by her sense of Justice and strong morals. Then factoring in her financial situation, she had very little opportunity to get out of this situation.
I never guessed the ending for a second
My only complaint is I don’t think the ending was 100% perfect but it wasn’t unsatisfactory either, so this was still a pretty solid read for me. I’d just argue that the first 80% of this book was stronger than the last 20%.
Overall a very fun read that I devoured in less than two days. I was definitely enthralled with this mystery and really wanted to know what the hell was happening enough to absolutely tear through it, so I think that means it was an overall successful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When I heard a sequel to Clown in a Cornfield was out, I wasn’t sure what it would even be about but I knew I had to read it. This was not only a great start to my Fall/Halloween TBR but an extremely strong sequel. I never in 100 years expected to like Clown in a Cornfield 2 better than the first novel but I think I did.
This addition to the story felt so much more scary and out of control than the events from the original Baypen Massacre. I spent a lot of the book wondering how the hell our main characters (Quinn, Rust, and Cole, along with a new character who lived through the original tragedy also, Jerry) where even going to get out of this.
As expected of Clown in a Cornfield this book was fast pace, fun, and didn’t beat around the bush with the outrageous violence and murder. Also, as to be expected, the overarching themes were extremely politically poignant.
My only complaint is, while I loved the way characters were built upon from the last novel…I found myself really frustrated at Cole a lot which made me less invested in him, but his actions weren’t things I’d consider to be out of character either.
The ending could be setting up a third installment of Clown in a Cornfield…or not. I enjoyed the ending either way and Quinn’s decision to go vigilante mode If a third book did come out, I’d definitely pick it up, as these books (while not revolutionary) tend to be such fun reads.
This addition to the story felt so much more scary and out of control than the events from the original Baypen Massacre. I spent a lot of the book wondering how the hell our main characters (Quinn, Rust, and Cole, along with a new character who lived through the original tragedy also, Jerry) where even going to get out of this.
As expected of Clown in a Cornfield this book was fast pace, fun, and didn’t beat around the bush with the outrageous violence and murder. Also, as to be expected, the overarching themes were extremely politically poignant.
My only complaint is, while I loved the way characters were built upon from the last novel…I found myself really frustrated at Cole a lot which made me less invested in him, but his actions weren’t things I’d consider to be out of character either.
The ending could be setting up a third installment of Clown in a Cornfield…or not. I enjoyed the ending either way
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity and Dysphoria
Dear Laura by Gemma Amor
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a short read that was very eerie and effective, it definitely gave me the absolute creeps (but I also made the mistake of reading this all in the middle of the night in the dark). My only complaint is I didn’t think the ending was entirely satisfying but it wasn’t bad either.
When I first finished the story I felt like it was super scary but after sitting on it for a few days it’s left less of a lasting impact on me than I would’ve thought initially. Either way this book still accomplishes a lot for how short it is.
When I first finished the story I felt like it was super scary but after sitting on it for a few days it’s left less of a lasting impact on me than I would’ve thought initially. Either way this book still accomplishes a lot for how short it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This story was so much more than I ever could’ve expected. I loved the constant back and fourth of “is it mental illness or is it a demon?”, and ultimately it is kind of whatever you want and/or both, which I find to be a very fresh take on the haunting/possession genre. At the end of the day this was a family that was, in the very least, haunted by the ghosts of ideas, religious fear, money problems, a failing marriage, misogyny, mental illness, etc. The Berrets were manipulated, pushed, and agitated to the absolute breaking point.
There was so much here, I honestly don’t even know how to talk about it all. First and foremost I think having the majority of this story being told in the eyes of an eight year old was great, there was so much tension even in Majorie’s most mild episodes because truthfully Merry had no idea what Marjorie might say or do, or if she (or anyone else) would protect her from someone she wasn’t even completely sure she was afraid of. I enjoyed all the nods to classic horror media but also the way common tropes were twisted and turned on their head, we’re asked “is anyone ever really possessed or has the church always been taking advantage of the vulnerability of the mentally ill and fueling the psychosis of the sick?” There were so many parallels and metaphors in the book I reveled in picking apart and analyzing, I think this novel had so much to say very eloquently hidden beneath what the story seemed to be at face value.
My one critique looks to be the common one…the blog sections were cringy at best and annoying at worst, but despite the kind of “hello fellow kids” attempt at writing a blog post that was supposed to sound as if it was written by a hip and up on the trends women in her early 20s, I still enjoyed the detached POV of what this family’s suffering looked like to the world and how the show succeeded to make good television but failed Majorie and Merry. (Every adult did to be completely honest) I also appreciated the insight we got by hearing Merry’s thoughts coming from her child self, her adult self, and (vague spoiler) an alter ego of sorts. I thought it was sweet that in all three contexts you could still see Merry and how some bits of her personality never change.
Without spoiling I did actually quite like the twist ending because even that, may or may not be true. I think Merry has grown to be a fairly well rounded individual especially for what she’s been through, but even still, much like Majorie I think her head is full of ghosts too and maybe some things she said were simply manifestations of guilt but also maybe they weren’t…and I don’t think are meant to know for sure.
There was so much here, I honestly don’t even know how to talk about it all. First and foremost I think having the majority of this story being told in the eyes of an eight year old was great, there was so much tension even in Majorie’s most mild episodes because truthfully Merry had no idea what Marjorie might say or do, or if she (or anyone else) would protect her from someone she wasn’t even completely sure she was afraid of. I enjoyed all the nods to classic horror media but also the way common tropes were twisted and turned on their head, we’re asked “is anyone ever really possessed or has the church always been taking advantage of the vulnerability of the mentally ill and fueling the psychosis of the sick?” There were so many parallels and metaphors in the book I reveled in picking apart and analyzing, I think this novel had so much to say very eloquently hidden beneath what the story seemed to be at face value.
My one critique looks to be the common one…the blog sections were cringy at best and annoying at worst, but despite the kind of “hello fellow kids” attempt at writing a blog post that was supposed to sound as if it was written by a hip and up on the trends women in her early 20s, I still enjoyed the detached POV of what this family’s suffering looked like to the world and how the show succeeded to make good television but failed Majorie and Merry. (Every adult did to be completely honest) I also appreciated the insight we got by hearing Merry’s thoughts coming from her child self, her adult self, and (vague spoiler) an alter ego of sorts. I thought it was sweet that in all three contexts you could still see Merry and how some bits of her personality never change.
Without spoiling I did actually quite like the twist ending because even that, may or may not be true. I think Merry has grown to be a fairly well rounded individual especially for what she’s been through, but even still, much like Majorie I think her head is full of ghosts too and maybe some things she said were simply manifestations of guilt but also maybe they weren’t…and I don’t think are meant to know for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol