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steffireadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Read for a book club. I’m not really into horror but this only had a few sections that made me feel bleh. The horror parts and the premise of the book were interesting and well thought out. However, the romance seemed out of place with the theme of the book and the dialogue wasn’t well written. All the questions posed in the book weren’t answered by the end which felt more like loose ends and not intrigue.
yoursisterscanary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I didn’t love this book but did appreciate that the horror concepts were very original. I read this for a queer book club so obviously I enjoyed that the main characters were lgbtq+. Unfortunately, the romance felt shoveled in. The interactions felt very authentic which was refreshing in a genre where queer characters tend to be written by white cishet women. It was a little hard to believe the interactions were of teenagers and not older men though. Such confidence!
The author seemed to be making some veiled points about internalized homophobia and shame. He touches on what amounted to Authenticity Theory, exploring if we are who we think we are or does the self lie in the eyes of others. Can an authentic self exist without acknowledgement of others. As a gender queer person this concept cuts me deep. There is no true physical expression of something society does not acknowledge other than a few forms of expressions that box you in. The main character seemed to be playing with this concept with fem expression with makeup. I wish this had been developed more but maybe that’s a lot to ask from a YA book.
I hope this author writes more horror with deeper developed magical systems featuring queer characters.
The author seemed to be making some veiled points about internalized homophobia and shame. He touches on what amounted to Authenticity Theory, exploring if we are who we think we are or does the self lie in the eyes of others. Can an authentic self exist without acknowledgement of others. As a gender queer person this concept cuts me deep. There is no true physical expression of something society does not acknowledge other than a few forms of expressions that box you in. The main character seemed to be playing with this concept with fem expression with makeup. I wish this had been developed more but maybe that’s a lot to ask from a YA book.
I hope this author writes more horror with deeper developed magical systems featuring queer characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child death
jmalone3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
jiggityjog's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.5
petunitea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
_tony_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shaking crying throwing up. the ending caught me off guard, i was not expecting that to happen at all
tamamorii's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
edgegrrl156's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ohyouread's review against another edition
5.0
I knew I would love this book even before I started reading it. Ryan La Sala does not disappoint!! Especially when it comes to horror!
Beholder was an intense, bizarre, action-packed and QUEEEEER (which I always need) story, that had me shocked from the very beginning.
Our MC, Athan, is pushed by a family friend to go to a party and have fun, but at some point the fun turns to screams and a mysterious boy pushes him into the bathroom, telling him to lock the door and not come out. When he does exit the next morning, it’s to find that the party guests have all been slaughtered and their bodies arranged in the living room. As the only survivor, he runs when the police arrive, knowing he’ll be their #1 suspect.
Now if that’s how you begin a book, you know the rest is going to be a wild ride. And that it was. Not only is there some kind of killer out there, but it looks like all of the cards are stacked up against him. He becomes an unreliable narrator and then I don’t know what to think. Of course, that’s when our mysterious boy (Dom) shows back up (who is also the love interest, as he should be!).
I LOVED the incorporation of the supernatural abilities (I’ll let you find out about that yourself!!) and a secret society (It gave me a little dark academia vibe). Think the Hellfire Club in X-Men… Atleast that’s how I imagined them.
Beholder was an intense, bizarre, action-packed and QUEEEEER (which I always need) story, that had me shocked from the very beginning.
Our MC, Athan, is pushed by a family friend to go to a party and have fun, but at some point the fun turns to screams and a mysterious boy pushes him into the bathroom, telling him to lock the door and not come out. When he does exit the next morning, it’s to find that the party guests have all been slaughtered and their bodies arranged in the living room. As the only survivor, he runs when the police arrive, knowing he’ll be their #1 suspect.
Now if that’s how you begin a book, you know the rest is going to be a wild ride. And that it was. Not only is there some kind of killer out there, but it looks like all of the cards are stacked up against him. He becomes an unreliable narrator and then I don’t know what to think. Of course, that’s when our mysterious boy (Dom) shows back up (who is also the love interest, as he should be!).
I LOVED the incorporation of the supernatural abilities (I’ll let you find out about that yourself!!) and a secret society (It gave me a little dark academia vibe). Think the Hellfire Club in X-Men… Atleast that’s how I imagined them.