skeptic_hecate's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This has more twists than the Amazon river, except that, unlike the Amazon river, the twists here are pointless and full of plotholes. I didn't like the protagonist at all, Scarlett Dragma reads like an anime filler episode monologue:
"I should do 'x', but if I do 'x' then I cannot do 'y', but perhaps people will expect me to do 'y' so I shouldn't do 'y', unless when two dimensional and pointless side character hinted that doing 'x' is better..." and so on.
The only character I liked was Donatella, and she was in a few pages of the book. The decisions taken by the characters are very stupid to the point of being random, and the clues are designed to be solved by something that happens to appear out of thin air rather than forshadowed.
The climax is meh, there are no real consequences to the actions of the characters. I had to force myself to finish this book. The outfits and setting are nice.
"I should do 'x', but if I do 'x' then I cannot do 'y', but perhaps people will expect me to do 'y' so I shouldn't do 'y', unless when two dimensional and pointless side character hinted that doing 'x' is better..." and so on.
The only character I liked was Donatella, and she was in a few pages of the book. The decisions taken by the characters are very stupid to the point of being random, and the clues are designed to be solved by something that happens to appear out of thin air rather than forshadowed.
The climax is meh, there are no real consequences to the actions of the characters. I had to force myself to finish this book. The outfits and setting are nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual harassment
ellasommers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
cpachet's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
What did I just read? I felt like the plot could’ve wrapped up like 2/3s into the book. I had a hard time connecting to most of the characters despite lots of decent reasons to sympathizing with them (particularly Scarlett…girl, your sister’s an asshole! She’s been doing her own thing for ages while you get punished and have no fun in life. Then she essentially tortures you by proxy as an elaborate ruse to “save you” from your father and fiancé. Gah!). This would be a very cool choose your own adventure book, but as a novel I felt it wasn’t well executed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Blood
Moderate: Confinement
thegazillionthreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book hooked me in, I was transported into the pages. It gave me Alice in Wonderland vibes at times and I absolutely loved it. I also buddy read with a friend and that made it so much more fun too. We were reading two chapters a day and a lot of times those two chapters were my favorite part of the day and being transported into the story, and I couldn’t wait to read the next two chapters!
This isn’t a genre I often read but I’m so glad I read this one. I am easily confused, and there were a few things I was sort of confused about but for the most part I understood. It’s a whimsical story meant to have you scratching your head most of the time anyway though.
Loved it!
This isn’t a genre I often read but I’m so glad I read this one. I am easily confused, and there were a few things I was sort of confused about but for the most part I understood. It’s a whimsical story meant to have you scratching your head most of the time anyway though.
Loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder
jess1059's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood and Death
natpa1ge's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
whatsophsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse
lynnloveshobi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the best book i have read in a long time, I'm low-key breathless, can't wait to read the next one
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicide, Child abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Body horror
anothermaddi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
nogoodingoodbye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Damn, this was so different from what I expected when I received the book from a friend! However I LOVED it, everytime I thought I knew what was about to happen Steaphnie Garber proved me wrong. A must-read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death, and Blood