tscott907's review against another edition
5.0
Stunningly scary, enticing, and atmospheric. Each character has their own conflicts but all of them dovetail together into a perfectly thrilling conclusion. Veers expertly between campus novel (can I even call it that? Whatever, I am) and psychological thriller. I have conflicting feelings about Ellis as a person but there’s no doubt he’s an incredibly talented writer, so I’ll give him, like, the tiniest of passes for how good this book is.
wirawin_aria's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
heartstrings's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
The best way I can review this beast is to cut it up into two parts. The first part is Bret Easton Ellis fanfiction in where Ellis writes a fictionalized version of his prep school senior year where he’s exceptionally good in bed, is very popular, and all the girls want him. That story is fairly mediocre tbh.
The second part is a slowly looming queer horror - an intense and engaging portrait of a young man trapped in a gilded cage and suffocated by the closet his sexuality has forced him into in early 1980’s America. It’s this haunting side of the tale full of mutilated corpses, gaslighting intruders, coercive predators, and clueless hets that really sets this book apart. The unraveling of Ellis’ character is inevitable, but what feels even more poignant is the way in which said character becomes unhinged - less because people are dying around him and more so because with every day that goes by he’s lost to the numbness of drugs and malaise he’s created for himself to stamp out the despair he feels at not being able to be his authentic self.
The second part is a slowly looming queer horror - an intense and engaging portrait of a young man trapped in a gilded cage and suffocated by the closet his sexuality has forced him into in early 1980’s America. It’s this haunting side of the tale full of mutilated corpses, gaslighting intruders, coercive predators, and clueless hets that really sets this book apart. The unraveling of Ellis’ character is inevitable, but what feels even more poignant is the way in which said character becomes unhinged - less because people are dying around him and more so because with every day that goes by he’s lost to the numbness of drugs and malaise he’s created for himself to stamp out the despair he feels at not being able to be his authentic self.
angela419's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
highestiqinfresno's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
ellie_klemm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
furyfiore's review against another edition
Went on and on and didn’t find it clever or engaging
joymarieanderson's review against another edition
2.0
What. On. Earth. I cannot believe how little happened in this 10000 page book.
brodiesbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0