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alikath's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
2.5
2.5 stars I think. I just felt so emotionally distant from this the whole time.
This should be a plot line I would love. It deals with the excesses of a tech corporation that reminded me of Bad Blood in an interesting way. However, I just could not get into the plot of this and I just didn't really feel for the characters. There is a mixed media element to this (sort of; there's only three instances of it) and I really wanted more of that. When they do show up, they feel like a sort of out-of-voice way of info-dumping what was happening. I don't think this is a terrible way of making sure readers are up to speed but I just wanted more of them so it would feel more integrated into the plot rather than just showing up with important plot info and then disappearing.
I thought that Lucy as a character was interesting but ultimately I never felt connected to her plight. The action of this book kicks off very quickly. When I'm reading horror, I want a bit of time to get to know the characters and feel tension start to build before the bad guy is revealed. Not every horror has to be like that but it's what I prefer and I didn't get any of that here. Because of that, I didn't feel anything when the characters were in danger, which really diminished the horror for me. This book falls more on the body horror side of things but even that wasn't that frightening to me and I usually hate reading about gore. I just wanted a greater scare factor from this.
Ultimately, I think this is fine. The writing is fine and the plot is fine. I just didn't connect with it, which left me a bit bored while reading.
This should be a plot line I would love. It deals with the excesses of a tech corporation that reminded me of Bad Blood in an interesting way. However, I just could not get into the plot of this and I just didn't really feel for the characters. There is a mixed media element to this (sort of; there's only three instances of it) and I really wanted more of that. When they do show up, they feel like a sort of out-of-voice way of info-dumping what was happening. I don't think this is a terrible way of making sure readers are up to speed but I just wanted more of them so it would feel more integrated into the plot rather than just showing up with important plot info and then disappearing.
I thought that Lucy as a character was interesting but ultimately I never felt connected to her plight. The action of this book kicks off very quickly. When I'm reading horror, I want a bit of time to get to know the characters and feel tension start to build before the bad guy is revealed. Not every horror has to be like that but it's what I prefer and I didn't get any of that here. Because of that, I didn't feel anything when the characters were in danger, which really diminished the horror for me. This book falls more on the body horror side of things but even that wasn't that frightening to me and I usually hate reading about gore. I just wanted a greater scare factor from this.
Ultimately, I think this is fine. The writing is fine and the plot is fine. I just didn't connect with it, which left me a bit bored while reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Death of parent
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
I probably shouldn't write a review so soon after reading this book. I'm high from emotions, but honestly, that's the motivation I need to write.
There's so much to compliment about this book. Lucy was a deeply relatable character to me during the whole journey. The feeling of being excluded because of your race, the way childhood trauma messes you up in ways no one can understand, your childhood being taken away by horrible event after horrible event, heartbreak, I could go on.
This is a rough book. It's not lighthearted at all. The jokes that keep everything from being depressingly bleak comes in the form of self-deprecating humor and dark comedy. There is body horror, mostly of humans, and psychological horror. Every page had me hoping things would get better, and time and time again I was reminded of the terrible situation the characters were put in. Don't go into this story unless you're ready for a tense, heartbreaking adventure.
And this tense, heartbreaking adventure was a fun ride to go on. I practically had my face pressed against my screen. By the end, I was nearly teary-eyed.
There's so much to compliment about this book. Lucy was a deeply relatable character to me during the whole journey. The feeling of being excluded because of your race, the way childhood trauma messes you up in ways no one can understand, your childhood being taken away by horrible event after horrible event, heartbreak, I could go on.
This is a rough book. It's not lighthearted at all. The jokes that keep everything from being depressingly bleak comes in the form of self-deprecating humor and dark comedy. There is body horror, mostly of humans, and psychological horror. Every page had me hoping things would get better, and time and time again I was reminded of the terrible situation the characters were put in. Don't go into this story unless you're ready for a tense, heartbreaking adventure.
And this tense, heartbreaking adventure was a fun ride to go on. I practically had my face pressed against my screen. By the end, I was nearly teary-eyed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Rape
ellalafontant's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Alcoholism
shannonxvx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Medical content
Moderate: Gore and Blood
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Grief