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chelsea_mh's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Death of parent
softasapanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My first audio book, because I'd caught up to all my podcasts and needed something to listen to while doing the dishes. It felt extremely slow with not much actually happening, and then the big event wasn't really resolved satisfactorily. I noticed there's a sequel but don't care enough to find out what happens next. If I'd been reading the physical book I probably wouldn't have finished it.
Also, why was nobody bothered about a 20 year old lurking around a school and then dating a 16 year old student??
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
celine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Blood, and Cannibalism
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
champagnepr0blem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Now here are my real issues with the book.
2) I understand that the teachers are supposedly 'here for a season' characters, however it is implied that the head teacher is more of a permanent fixture. So why are they not concerned about Lon hanging round the school? Why are the adults not concerned about him hosting 'youth club' lock ins? Where is the adult supervision in this town of predators?
3) For a woman that is a lady of leisure, and loves her children, the twin's mum doesn't have a clue what's happening in their lives. Either the family was groomed/hypnotised by Brian to give Lon his latest feed without endangering the lives of those already in the village (could have been explored) or she really just doesn't care about her children. Ones been groomed by a serial killer who's age is unknown, the other by an old witch who wants to pass down magic. Neither of which she has any idea about until its too late for both of them.
4) The casual homophobia from Catlin about Oona, there was no need other than to make Maddie coming out harder, however when she did come out all was fine and forgotten. Along with the relationship with Oona.
5) Casual animal sacrifice is never cool. When you bring in a kitten just to sacrifice it 10 pages later that feels really cruel.
6) Final, the pace made no sense. The first 3/4 seemed so slow like nothing happened at all, then there was 5% where the entire story happened before going back to nothing happening at all.
Overall, you can probably find something you like about this book it's mostly, inoffensive apart from those offensive bits.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia
grexcarolinii's review against another edition
1.0
I was expecting a fun witchy read about a pair of sisters on different life paths - with one discovering love and the other discovering magic.
What this is is... an incredibly uncomfortable read watching a young teenage girl fall into an obviously toxic and abusive relationship. And though this felt very much like the point, it was a hard one to read. And it made it super hard to empathise with the characters when all I wanted to do was scream and slap on of the sisters into awareness.
The other problems I have... spoilers below
Be warned: I get very ranty, and there are some TW for the content of what happens in this book
The second more plot based problem.
Lon is obviously bad news and a villain. And up to a point, this is supposed to be uncomfortable, so that you know this type of relationship between an older man and a CHILD is not OK.
But here's the thing. Everyone in the village knows this is bad news, and knows something is up. That this isn't just a super gross and abusive relationship, but actually even more sinister. They make some comments and do about jack-shit.
Then it's heavily implied Lon had something to do with one of the more recent murders. But "they couldn't prove anything". God this made made me loathe Catlin - even she says that. "They couldn't prove anything". Fuck. She doesn't even say "he didn't do it" just that they couldn't prove he did? That's so so so god damn obviously a confession of guilt. But despite the whole town kinda knowing he murdered a girl, just wasn't caught for it... they again do jack-shit to stop.
In the final pieces of the book, we find out Lon isn't entirely human. Is far far older than he appears. Things I had guessed. But adding to this - he is not only responsible for the deaths of the other girls. But is actually responsible for killing and EATING 101 girls. One HUNDRED and One. And it's heavily implied that people very much knew of some of these murders being him. And noone did anything? Everyone watched this cannibalistic murderer who has been preying on young young girls, presumeably for years, and has a body count that is probably larger than the population of the village itself. And noone did anything? Fuck me
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body horror, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting