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ice_princess'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Racism, and Alcohol
ggcd1981's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Racism
devynvictoria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Drug use, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Emotional abuse and Pregnancy
woweewhoa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Gore, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
tobermueller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Alcohol
whatathymeitwas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book managed to be as southern Gothic as it gets. Combine some old, old families, one with a disturbing history, some creepy houses, and a few well-fleshed out main characters... and I just don't know what more I could have asked for. This is a slow burn, deeply atmospheric horror novel, written very well and ultimately worthy of the title "literary." I imagine people who picked this up out of the paperback selections of horror in the eighties were mighty surprised— many similar novels would pale in comparison.
I'm not sure what I might could say about this that others haven't already. I deign to pepper my reviews with reinstatements of the plot itself, that's what the blurb is for and many other reviewers have done so before me.
What I will say, is that once this started ramping up the creepiness factor, it didn't stop. McDowell was fantastic at smoothing things out for you and creating a hesitant sense of peacefulness, calm, and realistic thought process; immediately after he thrusts you back into the sand and you're left half buried and gasping for air. This started really creeping me out while I was reading at night. You go through many nights and days with the characters, and feel you're right alongside and interacting with them, whether it's for a bizarre family funeral, an evening birthday party, a hot noon walk by the lagoon, or peering out the windows at the full moon, the breaking Gulf, and the ever ominous Third House and all that lurks within it, seething and breathing in the languid summer heat.
That connection to the characters, the place, the general setting, and the inherently Gothic aspects of southern Alabama really transport you, and you're with them as their feet sink into dunes and slide across wooden floors caked in the ever-present pristine white sand, wondering if something might reach out and grab your ankle.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
crosberg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Violence, Excrement, and Grief
mojavetent'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Racism