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ilaxaria'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Murder, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Excrement
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Pedophilia
percys_panda_pillow_pet'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I also felt really bad that the one who I felt more creeped out by was not Marjorie, with her gruesome stories and actions, but Merry, who seemed to take glee from her and her sister's trauma. Merry should be a somewhat reliable narrator as a kid, aside from her shoddy memory. There isn't a reason to suspect her of leaving things out. However, I felt wary all the same as Merry became known for being an exaggerator and a storyteller. There's a few reveals later on in the book that highlight this fact and it just made me very suspicious of someone who is just a very traumatized child/person.
Tremblay has done a fantastic job here with this book. A reader questioning a narrator's true feelings makes for good conversation and deeper reading. I am so torn with Merry as a character. My initial feelings were as stated above: Merry is creepy for the way she expresses her thoughts on the situation and her sister. However, after I finished the book, I couldn't help but think that maybe Merry was just trying to find her own way of understanding what all happened in her childhood, everything that led up to the greatest tragedy of her life. Afterward, all I could see was a girl-now-adult, still struggling to figure out why her sister acted the way she did, what her sister could've been thinking throughout it all.
When I started this book, the summary had not prepared me for the gruesome descriptions Tremblay employed, nor how sad a story this really was. I just felt so bad for Marjorie, more than anything. She didn't deserve anything that happened to her, and needed to be taken out of the home and cameras that were definitely making things worse. I am curious to know of other's opinions of the portrayal of schizophrenia in this book. I did not touch on it as I am not an expert on the condition, nor do I have the condition.
Graphic: Sexism, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Blood, Violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Self harm, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Drug use, Alcohol, and Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse and Confinement
simp4sneks's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny
Minor: Ableism, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Child death, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
raven31's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Blood
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
gbyronwilliams's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Excrement, Murder, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Excrement
Minor: Sexual assault, Bullying, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Excrement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Body horror, and Blood
saric7'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Alcohol, Murder, Gore, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Death, Sexual content, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, and Child death
exhumedprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Stalking, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Misogyny, Excrement, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
maryellen'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
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Blood
onemamareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Body horror, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Death, Murder, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Mental illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Torture, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Confinement, and Child death
aatroxskitten's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really do feel like coming out of this with that same feeling of watching Game of Thrones. It held my attention. I focused on it. I'm not upset I saw it. But I have criticisms in how one can discuss the misogyny and voyeurism of exorcist fiction and then seemingly revel in it as a plot point.
I am on the fence as to whether the portrayal is ableist. I am not sure about my feelings on it overall. Writing this, I bumped it from 3 stars to 2.
A nice writing style, though, and the story definitely holds the attention. I'm just left with the same sort of mixed feelings I had about the Red Wedding on film.
Graphic: Death of parent, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death