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aingealwroth'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
4.25
This is a dark, supernatural, coming of age story. While it can be cringe-worthy, embarrassing, and face-palm moments, it's level appropriate for teenagers and real people. It mentions uncomfortable topics, has serious character growth (though due to the length of book and the age of the subjects, we get mostly surface level impacts and not in-depth explorations of it), and the awful messiness of growing up. It's a very... I hesitate to say "fun" considering the darkness of the vibes but definitely enjoyable... ride through the hell that is being a teenage girl.
Finch can be a bit straightforward/timid/naive at times, but I also felt (as an autistic individual) that she was leaning towards being neurodivergent coded, so it bothered me less than it might others.
I did wish this was a bit longer, as it only touched on a number of topics that could have used more depth to them, but otherwise I have no regrets.
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
brandon_the_beldam2993's review
- 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
3.5
With a flavor of Stranger things meets Dark Academia, My Dearest Darkest is for anyone looking for a solid read on a lazy afternoon.
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, and Death of parent
imandubose'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, Bullying, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, and Alcohol
trashboatwinter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying and Outing
melaniereadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Finch wants nothing more than to go to Ulalume Academy, a boarding school especially for artistically talented girls, to play the piano. But after a visit to the island in Maine, a tragic accident (or is it?) leaves Finch without her parents and completely changed. Meanwhile, Selena is dealing with her own problems at the Academy and wants nothing to do with Finch's weirdness.
This is dark and creepy all the way through, which I loved! The atmosphere is really good and the plot is super interesting. I really love the kind of accidental cult stuff that happens throughout the book. I also love the sapphic relationship and the discussions of identity within this book.
I didn't love the character development and felt like the pacing felt a little off. Things happened too fast to really be believable and organic for me. Other than that though, I enjoyed this dark academia!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Toxic friendship