Scan barcode
joensign'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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Antisemitism, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The premise is cool - Keisha’s wife goes missing, is presumed dead, and then Keisha sees her repeatedly popping up in the background of the news, so she goes looking for her and discovers way more than she bargained for. The story was well written and easy to read fast (short chapters!) but there were several points where I was just… bored. I wonder if I might’ve felt more emotionally invested if I’d listened to the podcast.
My favorite bit was the most relatable to me - Keisha, having resolved to remain single, sees Alice for the first time and thinks, “Well, shit.” And ain’t that just how it goes… lol Best laid plans.
For someone who LOVES horror, I didn’t read enough of it this year. I’m looking forward to reading more of it in 2024. Maybe I’ll find something actually scary for a change lol
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Stalking, and War
Minor: Sexism and Gaslighting
olive_lol'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
At first, I loved the way it took place almost entirely on the road, but the charm eventually wore off. Some of the pacing is a bit clunky—really fast at times before becoming really slow, with little middle ground. However, the descriptions were great and really added to the atmosphere (I especially loved the unique descriptions of sound).
A lot of parts, especially the central mystery, are pretty out there and the type of thing a reader probably couldn't guess. After a few reveals like that, it got harder for me to stay fully invested in trying to solve it myself.
The book has few frequently recurring characters besides Keisha
Overall, this was a novel with a unique road trip atmosphere, some great descriptions, and an odd storyline that left me not feeling very strongly about it one way or another.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Antisemitism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism and Vomit
catalyst226's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Antisemitism
hunkydory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cannibalism and Death of parent
masha_and_the_cat'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
bookishlittleme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Death of parent and Murder
lanna_aud'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? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, and Death of parent
albasapri'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
e_reader'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
4.0
I’m not a podcast person, so I wasn’t comparing this book against the Alice Isn’t Dead podcast. From reading other reviews, I think that was to my benefit. The plot was a little hard to grasp at times, but I really enjoyed the way it all came together. The ending wrapped everything up very nicely. The casual queerness was also a major plus—there was the occasional mention of homophobia, but the book had queer main characters without their being queer being the main struggle (or even *a* struggle) they face in the book.
Overall, this novel really grew on me! Deducted one star for the horror element, which is more on me than the book.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gun violence