Scan barcode
augustinedreams's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
ahhhreadzombiez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
nindie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Vomit
nefariousbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Classism
abitbetterbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Plus, that ending! Whew!
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia
megb64's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
drunk_cowgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I honestly didn't love this book when i started it. I almost dnf'd it so many times. But i'm really glad i didn't, because it definitely got way better. At first, the narrator just comes off so jealous and bitter that her sister is hotter and cooler than her and how swooned after she is. She's extremely bitter about how she's had to look after her sister her whole life because she's older and clean up her messes and lives in the shadows of her younger, more conventionally attractive sister. I don't have siblings, i'm an only child, so i didn't relate to this at all and it just came off super miserable and lame how much time she spent complaining about her sister. I also just don't understand or relate to the ugly duckling trope. because of this, i wanted to put it down so bad. i was like, "damn, so your sister is hot and cool and killing wack ass abusive ass men and you're hating on her for it? that's so lame! if you're so mad about it, then just stop helping her??"
HOWEVER, i'm REALLY glad i kept reading this book, because the more the plot unfolds, you can actually see how the serial killer sister is actually a horrible person and a liar and manipulator. I was rooting for her in the beginning and then as the story went on, I definitely was not. It picked up a lot the second half of the book and i was pleasantly surprised!
this book definitely critiques family roles and sibling relationships. which wasn't something i related to but by the end of the book i definitely appreciated the insight and perspective as someone who is an only child.
I really enjoyed how this novel critiqued beauty standards and how people who are more conventionally attractive get away with a lot more. there's a quote i really liked in the book where the author says "people always conflate beauty with goodness."
i also found it interesting how we learn more about the two sisters childhood with their abusive father and emotionally neglectful mother. we get to see how both of their lives took two completely different routes due to the differences in their age even though they experienced the same trauma.
but my absolute favorite part of this book was how it was written. a lot of the chapters are simply a page or two long and they are literally poetry. i've never read a novel written like this before. as a poet myself, this was super refreshing and beautifully executed. I found myself yearning for more books written in this style.
the only reason i'm not giving it 5 stars is because it starts off kind of slow and was hard to get into and because i felt like the end didn't really have a solid conclusion. i felt like i wanted more from the ending. i'm not gonna spoil the ending but you'll see what i mean. it just kinda ended with no solid character development from anyone in the story.
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia
rowanelisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
maddiearthur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent