bashsbooks's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Stalking, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Hate crime, Body horror, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
Minor: Vomit and Infertility
elkboy23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Alcohol, and Gore
Moderate: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Racism, Stalking, Police brutality, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Hate crime
Minor: Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I somehow managed to hold on through things that normally would have made me put the book down forever and it was so good. One of the most PERFECT uses of second-person I've encountered in a novel; a genius way to incorporate the slasher movie PoV-of-the-killer shots directly into the narrative. I knew it was going to be 5 stars at the ~70% mark when
Spoiler
the goddamn slasher challenges the basketball-loving final girl to a game of basketball because she wants to wreak her in a game of her favorite sport before killing her OMG.Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Car accident
jaan's review
- 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? Yes
2.75
Some people didn’t like the shift into second-person perspective in the latter half of the book. I think it works very well as a narrative device because it jars the reader into becoming part of the story in ways that readers are typically removed from it. I think of readers as living behind a glass wall in relation to the book—we see everything in vivid detail, but are removed and protected from actually being part of it.
Spoiler
The second-person narrative introduces a presence into the story who shouldn’t be there; it’s wrong for us to be there; we should not be interjecting ourselves into this book. Interspersed with third-person omniscient, the second-person perspective makes us forget that the elk is in the story, all the time, breathing life into it, until we are suddenly and horrifically reminded that she is.The low rating is partly because the gore and violence of this genre is just not for me, and partly because I think this book did suffer from pacing issues, and that’s a BIG knock against a book for me. I kept reading past the halfway point not because I was gripped by the story but because I became invested in the characters’ fates.
Spoiler
I waited for the elk’s rage and grief to come into focus, spellbindingly and tragically written, and it didn’t. This isn’t to say I’m disappointed with the ending—I appreciate that it didn’t hinge on the murder of an Indigenous woman—but the readers are forced to fill in the gaps vis-à-vis the elk’s motives. Instead, SGJ spends more time detailing the men’s lives, and even then falls short.I do recommend this book, though. Freaked me out.
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Murder, and Pregnancy
thetallestbird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Spoiler
Lewis and the teeth, hello???I also really appreciate being able to read a story with such a heavy influence from the Blackfeet culture. Not just for an understanding of the scarcity and injustice, but for the richness of their traditions, legends, lore, etc.
In short, I'm very glad I read this book and will be thinking of it for a while.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Racism, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Vomit
shannnne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Gore, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Vomit
pbeeandj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal death, Violence, Stalking, Racism, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Pregnancy
that_cow_girl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spoiler
do not survive, unfortunately. None of themI loved it. All of the characters are really interesting, and you want to love the main four guys.
Spoiler
I guess 3, since we didn’t get much of Ricky at allSpoiler
once Lewis describes exactly what happens in the woods, it’s very easy to understand Po’noka’s motivations.Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Stalking, Grief, Vomit, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, and Gun violence
thebearnest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Gore, Gun violence, and Cursing
bo0kf4n2's review
- 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
Graphic: Pregnancy, Gore, Animal death, and Death