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nimbos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've been having a growing obsession with this book, a sort of love-hate relationship that traps me in a rolling wave that I can't get out of.
Euchrid is all I could ever ask for in a main character. His more than turbulent youth, extensive line of trauma and his incapacity to talk amass to an unimaginable abomination that builds upon his fragile psyche like a fattening monkey and pushes it more and more towards the verge of a full on breakdown. And when that happens, Nick presents us with a villain arc that matches the magnitude of Euchrid's disorder.
The story is told both through the narrator's and Euchrid's point of view, allowing a direct window to his paranoid mind and making the whole experience all the more immersive. Although slow-paced (and sometimes even painstakingly so), once you click with it you'll find all the details are essential to the narrative, none of which being a waste of words.
The story explores themes of trauma, violence, religious bigotry, hypocrisy, the human condition, mental illness, search for purpose, all so masterfully accomplished (it's clear Nick wanted to prove himself as a writer with this one) without ever losing the underlying sick sense of humour (Flannery O'Connor style) that I can't but recommend this to anyone who's in for a walk across the spectrum of humanity (or lack thereof) and sometimes a good laugh amidst the filth.
Euchrid is all I could ever ask for in a main character. His more than turbulent youth, extensive line of trauma and his incapacity to talk amass to an unimaginable abomination that builds upon his fragile psyche like a fattening monkey and pushes it more and more towards the verge of a full on breakdown. And when that happens, Nick presents us with a villain arc that matches the magnitude of Euchrid's disorder.
The story is told both through the narrator's and Euchrid's point of view, allowing a direct window to his paranoid mind and making the whole experience all the more immersive. Although slow-paced (and sometimes even painstakingly so), once you click with it you'll find all the details are essential to the narrative, none of which being a waste of words.
The story explores themes of trauma, violence, religious bigotry, hypocrisy, the human condition, mental illness, search for purpose, all so masterfully accomplished (it's clear Nick wanted to prove himself as a writer with this one) without ever losing the underlying sick sense of humour (Flannery O'Connor style) that I can't but recommend this to anyone who's in for a walk across the spectrum of humanity (or lack thereof) and sometimes a good laugh amidst the filth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Infertility, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse and Incest
There are so many graphic and specific details to the story that made me many times stop and wonder if Nick's been through those things himself. btw this shit has literally all the warnings—misty_kb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Body horror, Suicide, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Incest, Infertility, Rape, and Cannibalism