o_preston_o's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Classism, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Self harm
jneverland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Body shaming, Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Physical abuse
jasluu'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Classism, Drug abuse, Animal death, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Death, and Drug use
lucinotlucy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Self harm
alexandrabelze's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Spoiler
my favorite part of the whole book has to be max’s whole “performance piece” with the bunnies in the cave. watching their perfect, carefully curated, fake identities collapse was so satisfying and mildly humorous.Graphic: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Drug abuse, Gore, Alcohol, Bullying, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Torture, Cursing, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Vomit, Addiction, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in a university and not a high school campus, that the characters were grown adults and not wildly troubled teenagers. Everything just felt a little off, which was mayve intentional but left me unable to click with the story or writing.
But, I'm also conflicted as I listened to the audio book version and found myself having to play it at double speed so as not to fall asleep from boredom with the way it was read. So, I'm unsure if I may have enjoyed the book more had I read a physical copy.
Either way, an interesting book and premise, scary and challenging but not for me.
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Confinement, and Cursing
meleah_neely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Now, for those who have read the book and want my opinion (aka spoilers), here's what I made of it:
Spoiler
I thought that this text served more as a metaphor for the writing process than anything else. Some people believe that this is meant to be a story of a schizophrenic woman attempting to find out her place in the world— and ultimately doing that through writing. While I think this assumption is feasible, I find this interpretation to leave out the role of academia in the text. And frankly, if this were to be the point of the text, I would not like this book (instead of making a meaningful piece that critiques the lack of disability justice in academia, you turn mental illness into horror? boo!!!). One of the most impactful aspects of this story, when I read it, was how Sam speaks so candidly about the death of her passions in academia, her struggles to write unless she is with Ava (a project that ultimately serves to remind her of her drive and capabilities to create something she loves), and her loneliness as she navigates what truly makes a writer when with the rich white friend group who, no matter how much they try, cannot do what Sam can do (made most clear on both the night she led Workshop and their desires, jealousy, and fury when faced with Max (another creature that, though so much darker than Ava, is still an original piece of work that they can never recreate)). In the end, I think this text serves as a metaphor for the harshness of the creative writing process and how fine the line really is between creative genius and pure madness. I think that this is what made the text so nice for me, even if when I first read it I wouldn't have been able to put these thoughts together. I certainly want to reread it with more annotation to see if this belief I have still holds, since my brain was not as active as it should have been when reading this. Hence, why I believe it's something like an American Psycho instead of a Heathers.Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Drug use, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
sydneynorman'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Animal death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood
mellowreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Animal death, and Self harm
bonkyboot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, and Gore