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baestation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
fionamclary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
However, I found the lore to be frustratingly thin. It didn't make sense to me how many seemingly basic aspects of magic were unknown to Occulture before the events of the story
Also, I really want a movie version now just so that Nathan Foad can play Theodore. I think that would go so hard.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
lbelow's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
displacedcactus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Spoilers ahoy!
Like seriously. If Mallory had killed a cat or a dog, no reader would forgive that. But because it's "just a bug" it's ok? But it's not ok. It wouldn't be OK if someone was upset at being left out by their friends and smashed one friend's car up, or destroyed their favorite sweater or deleted their video game file, let alone killing an important if miniscule living creature, causing serious damage to that creature's colony.
I almost DNFed right when the beetle squishing happened, but I kept reading, because the way it was written with a bit of distance, I almost thought that it would come out that some magic was making her extra volatile, but no. We're never given a satisfying reason beyond "I was pain and my life sucks and my friends have fun without me and this tiny animal did me a tiny hurt so I killed it."
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I picked it up for the tagline: "Be Gay. Solve crimes. Take naps." The writing didn't immediately click for me because I couldn't quite get a feel for the setting and characters, but I stuck with it for the absurdly endearing character of Theodore (an irrepressible ghost stuck in the ridiculous cat costume he died in on Halloween), the excellently portrayed chronic pain rep, and the Gen Z voice of it all. By the end, I found myself hoping that this is going to be the first in a series.
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol