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maregred's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
melbsreads's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
2.5
Content warnings: death, blood, gore, body horror, possession, graphic descriptions of dead bodies, graphic descriptions of injuries, terminally ill parent, cancer
This.............was odd. Like, the concept was kind of cool? A little bit dark academia, a little bit horror. But somehow this ended up featuring so much weird demonic possession-y stuff that I feel like the story itself got lost. Also how was no one else noticing what was happening??
Essentially, I finished it a month ago and forgot to write a review so things are a little hazy but I know for sure that it was underwhelming.
This.............was odd. Like, the concept was kind of cool? A little bit dark academia, a little bit horror. But somehow this ended up featuring so much weird demonic possession-y stuff that I feel like the story itself got lost. Also how was no one else noticing what was happening??
Essentially, I finished it a month ago and forgot to write a review so things are a little hazy but I know for sure that it was underwhelming.
bookstaholic's review against another edition
5.0
Thrilling and terrifying at points. Flew through this book in a day it’s incredible.
catbewks's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I enjoyed this, but it felt like reading a full length novel of the amalgamation of every single one of those tropey supernatural horror movies where there's a demon on the loose possessing everyone. I started skimming when I realised the book held no surprises. There was just nothing new here, unfortunately.
But I enjoyed it because it was suspenseful and creepy and because Tess and Eliot really reminded me of Blue and Gansey from The Raven Cycle. I liked Tess and Eliot despite the parallels I drew in my own mind, but I feel like they could have been more fleshed out. I think this book suffered from having such a tiny cast of characters, because the two MCs mostly just interacted with each other for the entirety of the novel, and I think there would have been something to be gained from bringing the side characters to the spotlight more often.
I also liked this quote:
She was not a failure, not now, and she refused to be one. She'd cling onto any success she could grab. She'd grit her teeth until they shattered.
I enjoyed this, but it felt like reading a full length novel of the amalgamation of every single one of those tropey supernatural horror movies where there's a demon on the loose possessing everyone. I started skimming when I realised the book held no surprises. There was just nothing new here, unfortunately.
But I enjoyed it because it was suspenseful and creepy and because Tess and Eliot really reminded me of Blue and Gansey from The Raven Cycle. I liked Tess and Eliot despite the parallels I drew in my own mind, but I feel like they could have been more fleshed out. I think this book suffered from having such a tiny cast of characters, because the two MCs mostly just interacted with each other for the entirety of the novel, and I think there would have been something to be gained from bringing the side characters to the spotlight more often.
I also liked this quote:
She was not a failure, not now, and she refused to be one. She'd cling onto any success she could grab. She'd grit her teeth until they shattered.
rjackson25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Gore, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
karenholmes's review against another edition
3.0
It starts with a bland story of a poor kid in a school for the rich, making ends meet and being so self sacrificing that she seems to irreal. But slowly it creeps into something else, into a horror story of a devil attacking everything she loves and it puts a chill down to the spine. Or two.
nerdy_bookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A more detailed review to come, my feelings are currently over the place, sooo this should be convincing enough
malice1865's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
giraffeinabookstore's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
darkskybooks's review against another edition
2.0
One of the tropiest of tropefests I have read in a while. A poor prodigy brought to a fancy school unleashes a devil from a secret book. With nods to pretty much every YA trope out there this is not the most original or creative story out there. The prose is written well enough but the storyline was predictable, the teenage angst annoying and I found it ticking most of my pet dislikes within the genre.