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matchamarimo's review
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
greentearex'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Terminal illness
kreglow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
earth_to_mars's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Anyway, what I love about this book is Mars. They're like a little sibling who I want to protect from the weird Midsommar-esque Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy they go to for the summer after the tragic (and strange) death of their sister Caroline. I love that this book is in Mars' perspective as it aids in the growing paranoia and suspicion that the academy is not what it seems. We learn a lot about how he thinks and how he sees the world around him.
At the same time, we get very little characterization of the people around him (i.e. Wyatt, Bria, Mimi and Sierra) and while that can be a deal breaker to some, it wasn't terrible. We still get some of their personalities as they interact with Mars over the course of the summer.
The pace is a little strange. It starts of very fast, grabbing you in, the middle section is a bit of a drag though as not much is happening and we just follow Mars through mundane camp activities, only for the story to pick right up around the third act. I get it's to build suspense, but it dragged a little through the middle.
My two main issues that keep it from being a five star book are the fact that despite it being called The Honeys we barely get to see Mars interacting with them. The three girls have the least amount of characterization despite the fact the book is named after them. Also, the representation feels off. Mars is genderfluid, and while I am not, I am trans, so I understand her struggles to an extent. Mars would complain a lot, about being misgendered as a boy, and it's clear to me that they do not like being masculine or perceived as masculine. But throughout the book, he only ever uses he/him pronouns despite preferring any/all pronouns. It felt La Sala was playing it safe and ended up missing the mark (I don't think it's done maliciously, I think La Sala needed to do more research, maybe talk to genderfluid people). There was also the dreaded queer metaphor of how Mars' gender is like floating in a lake and sometimes he goes to one side of the lake, sometimes the other and sometimes he floats in the middle. Please, please I am begging authors and writers to stop with weird metaphors (looks directly at Schitt's Creek) unless it is absolutely necessary (i.e. A fantasy world that doesn't have the same terms as Earth).
But hey, I think this was a good first book to get back into reading again. It has made me more interested in the horror genre and hopeful in finding good contemporary LGBTQ+ literature. It was a fun, and occasionally disturbing (in the best way) and I would definitely recommend this book for those wanting a start in the horror genre.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Transphobia
Minor: Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
yomireads's review
- 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
5.0
The intersection of different types of "hive minded" species is really compelling. From the haunting bees introduced as early as chapter four, to the aspen trees that share a root network and seem to watch the interlopers of the wood, and then mirrored back once more in the way peer pressure and group psychology seems to create a single organism bent on attacking all things other.
The pacing was phenomenal, easily pulling the reader into the same sense of security Mars reflects without the writer telling the audience that's what Mars is feeling.
The tackling of gender binary and the sense of real life horror when life-lines in safety and trust are severed, and a queer child is left isolated and afraid, is chilling and well handled. It adds a lot to the atmosphere of tension that something could go wrong at any moment in the story.
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Dysphoria
readingpicnic's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Classism
erica_reads_things's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence, and Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Classism
dixiecarroll's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
milesofkiles'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
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual harassment
Minor: Bullying and Violence
morgue666's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"I'm hurting boys."
Bria, to her credit, throws me a sideways glance and asks, "What are your pronouns again?"
"Uh..." My throat still feels raw from being choked within an inch of my life. "I'm cool with really anything. I'm fluid."
This part absolutely cracked me up. I really enjoyed this a lot more than i thought I would! As a nonbinary person it was so nice to read something from the point of view of another genderqueer person! Would’ve loved a bit more horror in it but I really loved the book as a whole. The ending has devastated me though,
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Hate crime, Suicide, Blood, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Minor: Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment