hailey_horror'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: Blood, Bullying, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief
laniemax'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
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Bullying, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Excrement, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
ximradletshuggx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Pace:3/5
Plot development:2/5
Characters:2/5
Enjoyability:3 (jumped from a 2 to a 3 in the last 20% of the book)/5
Time to complete:5hours
Score:2.4/5 stars
Notes:
Overrated.
Maybe I have an issue with male authors. This author struggles to write female characters, and as a female reader it’s something that jumps out to me.
I went into this book excited based on the blurb, but within the first 10% of the book or so I was seriously thinking of putting this on my DNF shelf. The writing was bland and boring and didn’t do much to bring the reader in. The narrative is too repetitive and simplistic that it just doesn’t give me anything to hold on to.
I would have much rather had a story from the point of view of Meg, Susan or hell even Ruth, instead of Davey the onlooking boy who takes no accountability and just watches things happen and goes on about the girls through eyes of sexual lust for one and disgust towards the other. His character has no personality other than being a 12 year old boy who only has sexual thoughts about his female “friend”.
It is so bland that it ruins the whole reading experience. I probably would have been better off reading an actual non-fiction book about the real life events of Sylvia Likens that this book was based off of.
The story finally gets a little bit interesting around 35% which is a little far in if you ask me, and then around 60% in the plot finally gets dark and descriptive. Around 80% in it gets pretty graphic and at this point I’m sure many people will be uncomfortable. The events in this book become jaw dropping and horrific and my heart breaks for Meg.
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Kidnapping