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alexfrankfiction's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
shay43geek'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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Mental illness
kate_303's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Violence, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Car accident, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Gaslighting
ka_cam'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
clairehe'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
3.75
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent
georgiaaa's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Homophobia, Slavery, and Colonisation
vbarsi'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
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Pregnancy
Ending was not as satisfying as I imagined.writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Review to come!
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation
Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Excrement, and Cannibalism
pagesandtales's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Death of parent
alicia_rausch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The world, the characters, and the tone of the novel is masterfully done, though it remained much lighter on horror than I expected and the pacing was extremely slow. I found myself wanting to quit this beast multiple times and yet I’m glad I pushed through. I think, a bit like Vampires of El Norte, it was marketed as heavier on the horror than it was - and I was expecting a much larger % of the novel to be action, when in reality it was just a few sequences.
What it is, is a generational drama with horror elements, which should have been how it was advertised. It’s a quiet book, with a creeping sense of dread, and dark elements as we follow the family and how the cult affects each member over time. Like a darker, more effed-up Pachinko.
The rep for LGBTQ+ was well done, and like Pachinko, I greatly enjoyed the historical elements about a time period (and place) I am not overly familiar with.
The actual writing/storytelling was excellent and the way the puzzle fit together at the end was satisfying. I love an ambigious ending so that was a plus for me. But I just could not get past the excruciatingly slow pacing.
To the right reader, this will be an instant favorite - unfortunately, that reader is just not me.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting