the_first_lines'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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, Vomit, and Violence
Moderate: Blood and Death
sakurasarah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Torture, Vomit, Injury/injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
dancingwithourhandstied's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Animal death
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Vomit, Body shaming, Sexual content, and Stalking
samcanuel'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? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
skyeuqx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Classism, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Gore
ghost_girl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, Mental illness, Violence, Vomit, and Blood
sydsmith23'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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Mental illness
keiramckay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Vomit, Gore, Drug use, Murder, Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Injury/injury detail, and Sexual content
erebus53'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? It's complicated
4.0
The writing is poetic, weird, fanciful, evocative, and conveys a sense of claustrophobic, existential dread that could easily be described as paranoid schizophrenic. Cthulhu is mentioned more than once; whether the narrator is reliable or not, is your call.
A lot of the discomforting tone of the book is tapping deep into common stressors. Our main character Samantha is forced into group work (the horror!) with a clique of rich and sheltered young women who are completely self-involved, and codependent. She nicknames them "the Bunnies" because they use the term Bunny as an affectionate pet term for each other. This stifling environment is ruled over by an abusive tutor (treated as a mentor and carer) who is continually encouraging them to get uncomfortable and use their pain in their art.
I haven't read a story set in a school with a more real feeling of loneliness, insecurity, and anxiety.. and I have read a lot of YA authors. The girls derive their strength from subjugating their individuality, becoming a hive mind that is as oppressive as it is inclusive. To be accepted one must pay a great price, and even those on the inside are continually being torn down by the narcissistic cycle of love-bombing, gas-lighting, and passive/aggressive negativity. Every interaction feels invasively vulnerable. Every interaction feels like a trap.
The town around the campus feels barren. Although there are opulent houses, there are certain parts of town that are derelict. Samantha finds herself moving out of her stifling p*ss-yellow apartment, in a building full of people with mental illnesses, into a derelict building. She lives with an aloof gothic-punk girl who she attends tango class with, and who carries a hip-flask labelled "drink me". The Alice In Wonderland theme is riffed on, quite a bit. Their relationship is almost homo-erotic, but asexually so.
The Othering in this story is next level. Girls moon over fantasy boys who are often dead superstars like James Dean, or characters from Greek myth. They are made fantasy by being utterly unreal, un-attainable, and fetishised through being exotic or not even speaking English. I only realise this after noticing the sexualisation of the tutor who speaks with a Scottish accent. It's like they are so starved for stimulation, and yet so terrified of reality that they need to create abstracted lust. There is no vulnerability with a partner who isn't really a person, bunny.
Graphic: Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Classism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Mental illness, Gore, and Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit and Suicidal thoughts
hannahbailey's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Gaslighting, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, and Self harm