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whofilets's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Vomit
sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
The book takes a long time to say what it wants to say. It takes WAY too long, like 350 pages too long. So much of the story is spent building up flat characters from an author whose characterization is also nonexistent. When it finally came to the plot twist, it just didn’t have much of an effect on me because there was nothing from the rest of the novel that I was truly holding on to.
I would like to think that maybe I am just so smart I saw Darnielle’s intention from the get go and that this was not a book directed toward me but I don’t think either of us should get too much credit. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Murder
kthealey'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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Sexism, Xenophobia, and Vomit
jessiejonesbentley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
mayajade1701's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book is not very straightforward. And therefor not an easy read. I struggled with the way the narrative is set up and the way it jumps between stories and POVs.
For the first 3/4ths of the book I found I really didn't want to stick with it and I just wanted to finish it and move on to something else.
However in the last 4th I really enjoyed the shift in the narrative. I was confused at first but liked that feeling. However the realizations at the end unfolded so quickly and from an unexpected angle it felt rushed when the rest of the book was slow and creeping.
I think that there were possible a few too many points trying to be made in this book, from bad landlords to the ethics of true crime and even a chapter written in an old english font which made it psychically hard for me to read as well. The story is tied back several times to Arthurian legends which as a metaphor didn't totally connect for me. I felt like I was reading it too fast to make the deeper meaningful connections the author wanted me to make beyond the surface level of our 'protagonists' feeling like their own 'knights' and creating their own legend.
Graphic: Gore and Blood
yrioona's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
a kind of class-conscious existential horror story about what happens when you apply compassion and imagination to the true crime genre. I picked this up because I'm a mountain goats fan and WIWV was pretty ok, but this is a huge step up from WIWV and it made me look forward to what's next. Pretty incredible what this guy can do! Wish he would write some more interesting women characters.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
defeating_my_demons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
criticalgayze's review
- 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
Sorry to start this off like an essay, but it's what a book like this deserves.
Stewardship is really what is at the heart of a book. What does it mean to take care of something? A child, a piece of land, (maybe most especially) a story? Even more specifically, a story you have not been trusted to tell but rather named yourself the teller of.
Throughout the book, Gage Chandler wrestles with this moral quandary. How do you tend to something that may or may not be considered "yours?" Is there a healthy way to do such a thing, or is there only the best way you know how? Are you allowed to do such a thing, and once you've made the choice to do it anyway, what is the best way to validate or redeem your choice?
This book is art. The book is beautiful the whole way throughout, but when Darnielle inverts the reader's understanding in the last 15 pages, it becomes elevated to the realm of the truly spectacular.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
kitaface's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism and Forced institutionalization