natalee_martino's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Bullying, Gore, and Toxic relationship
mitchvandiver's review
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Bullying, and Violence
booksojwhi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
annaxavila's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Body horror
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Homophobia, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Pedophilia, and Abandonment
deadsearisen's review
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Homophobia
abbennsky's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
daniel_inglis's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I enjoyed this book, the short chapters make you feel like you’re flying through the book, the amount of tension Habib creates in so many different ways, and watching a character just lose himself. All of it lends itself to be a fast paced and compelling book.
What I liked about the book: the writing was creative throughout, from jumping timelines (and duplicating chapter numbers during these parts) I thought was creative and really do a good job of introducing the main characters. I enjoyed that we got peeks into other people perspectives, not often and not for long periods of time, but they confirm what we may be wondering as this book is mainly told through a 3rd person limited perspective kinda way. So these perspective jumps can are a bit more powerful. I liked the character development, how the main characters are changed because of their circumstances and we see them, sadly, fall apart. A last touch that i added was the amount of foreshadowing or details that come back around, that the things Todd saw or did that upset him are the very things he later does himself as he gets more and more broken down.
My, albeit limited, critiques of the book is that some of the storytelling seemed disjointed. Idk how to explain it more than that. Also, im a little unclear of how the story resolves. Habib does a great job giving a lot of the supporting characters good moments/lines the last time we see them. But we were working towards the hawk mountain book the whole time, and < spoiler > I don’t love the bully was secretly in love the whole time, like this dude’s life was a living hell in his last year of school and is this suppose to be the resolution of the story? Idk not my favorite.< /spoiler >
All around a great debute novel.
What I liked about the book: the writing was creative throughout, from jumping timelines (and duplicating chapter numbers during these parts) I thought was creative and really do a good job of introducing the main characters. I enjoyed that we got peeks into other people perspectives, not often and not for long periods of time, but they confirm what we may be wondering as this book is mainly told through a 3rd person limited perspective kinda way. So these perspective jumps can are a bit more powerful. I liked the character development, how the main characters are changed because of their circumstances and we see them, sadly, fall apart. A last touch that i added was the amount of foreshadowing or details that come back around, that the things Todd saw or did that upset him are the very things he later does himself as he gets more and more broken down.
My, albeit limited, critiques of the book is that some of the storytelling seemed disjointed. Idk how to explain it more than that. Also, im a little unclear of how the story resolves. Habib does a great job giving a lot of the supporting characters good moments/lines the last time we see them. But we were working towards the hawk mountain book the whole time, and < spoiler > I don’t love the bully was secretly in love the whole time, like this dude’s life was a living hell in his last year of school and is this suppose to be the resolution of the story? Idk not my favorite.< /spoiler >
All around a great debute novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
localqueerlibrarian's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Homophobia