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moendchen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
But omg I had such a good time! My only critique is, that sky truly never saves herself. Never. Even when she does, she uses the advice/the words that were given to her to protect/save herself. Plus worldbuilding could be better tbh. Still would read it again!
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
mlouise2974'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
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
quietmarki's review against another edition
I really don't trust recommendations from tiktok/insta, and this book is a reason why you shouldn't trust them. This book is just horrible:
1. FL is transphobic and just a big no no for me
2. The storyline is awful. I really don't understand what is happening. FL shows some empathy and now everyone wants to talk with her about there situations. Also I don't get it why a 'very very' dangerous patient would fall for her. There isn't anything to like only her 'empathy'....
3. The trigger warnings list isn't complete. Add transphobia and relationship with minor also incest.... If i know this before I wouldn't read this one.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
isabelleroyall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
delli06's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment
tinksreviews's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
vepowell's review
0.25
So... wow. The trigger warnings were nowhere near complete. The only LGBTQ+ rep was incredibly harmful. The writing was simply poor. Repeating words from sentence to sentence, world building issues, pacing issues. I honestly only read it because of the controversy- don't make the same mistake I did. Not worth the 6 hours it took to power through it.
The story arc wasn't so much an arc as a squiggly line that lost itself somewhere in the middle, and it felt like things that could have been a whole chapter were a page, like half the plot should have been held off to a second book. Also, for a "dark romance"... there's basically no romance, just some flirting mixed with poor representation of DID (by the authors admission). The final lines as some form of cliffhanger just felt like a desperate way to get the reader to read the next book.
World building wasn't really building, and the only component of the world built out was society's hatred of women and pushing them to an anorexic ideal that led to pain and death. The rest of the world? That apparently theres several continents, psychic powers that aren't psychic but are somehow just powers of observation, giant wolves and other magical type beasts... none of that was built out in any satisfactory way. It was just "look this society hates women and treats them horribly, also theres secret government organizations and stuff but let's just focus on this one asylum and the hatred of women".
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
maheen_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
the story follows skylenna (sorry but what is that name? 😭✋) and the mysterious hawt patient 13 as skylenna works here way through the dreaded asylum to help the patients, rather than torture them the way that the asylum instructs them to. all the patients are there because they either have committed crimes or they just don't fit in with the way society dictates them to.
the fantasy element was quite subtle in my opinion, we don't get much apart from the mysterious powers patient 13 has - and even that's not magic, he can just resist all forms of torture.
dessin was really well written (patient 13) and he was really charismatic. i loved the chemistry with sky, it was well developed and fully written out. no insta love here!
now.. the DID thing has me confused as hell. first we see that dessin is the more dominant alter, protecting the weaker one, kane. i loved kane too, he was such a sweetheart (like an old soul). but greystone?? at the end?? i am scared for sky he is a literal creeep.
how scary though - you fall in love with dessin, really like kane and then he changes and has a complete different personality?? stop because i'm scareddddd. how will it be resolved? will all the alters just live together and pop out when they like?
anyway, the plot was a bit all over the place, i still don't know where it's going; it kind of bounced from the asylum to sky's sister to the general soceity and i have no clue what really happened. i was here for dessin and sky tbh. it was really interesting though - for her first book the author managed to keep me captivated.
i would check cw's because it is quite graphic with torture at times, and it mentions assault and abuse quite a bit.
4.75 stars! buzzing for the second one!! (less)
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
soniajoy98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Incest, Self harm, Transphobia, Dementia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity
ladyashhbooks's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail