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iane_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
alrsto's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. They're marked, but if you continue reading, you're doing so at your own risk.
There were things I really liked about this book and problematic things that kept me from loving it.
Likes: I have only a passing knowledge of Shakespeare, but I know enough to see how this story echoes Shakespeare's tragedies, complete with characters making choices and then wrestling at length with the consequences—especially the internal (psychological) consequences.
The second time I read the book, I noticed some subtle, Shakespeare-esque foreshadowing that I couldn't see, and thus didn't appreciate, during my first read, when I was just wondering what's going to happen next.
I also have a big soft spot for a ensemble cast, especially where the characters have a history and the various interpersonal relationships between them inform how they get along with each other, as well as the narrative.
I liked the (to me) subtle depiction of an unacknowledged love between two characters that I gradually realized was an undercurrent propelling many of the characters' decisions—sometimes in ways they realized, sometime in ways they didn't seem to.
I felt the same pleasant frustration I do when reading romances: "For heaven's sake, would the two of you finally hold each other, kiss, and admit that you're in deeply love with each other already?!"
Finally, I appreciated that there was an interesting moral question left open for pondering at the end.
That moral question: Oliver's decision to take the fall for the murderer may have been motivated by love. But did he really do the murderer any favors? Or did he inadvertently inflict more psychological suffering on them by not allowing them to clear their conscience and receive punishment?
Problems: I could have used a little more history about the groups' years at the school before their fourth year, in which the story takes place.
Knowing more about how they became the clique that they are and how the various sub-relationships within the clique have evolved and changed over the years would have made their decisions and actions more understandable.
I also thought the murder victim was one-dimensional and too thinly drawn.
What was Richard like before the events of the story? The other characters react to his physical bullying as if it were new, yet none of them spend much time wondering why he's suddenly so physically abusive with them. Where did they think his newfound sadism was coming from?
Was that physical bullying, in fact, not really a surprise to them? If so, why? Had his bullying been more subtle in the past, perhaps taking the form of emotional and/or verbal abuse? Had it started out with "teasing" that could have at first been written off as "just a joke" or the recipient being "sensitive" if they felt hurt?
Or did he always have an obnoxious, outsize ego or a wildly moody temperament that the rest of the group was so used to putting up with that they didn't realize it was gradually morphing into something sadistic and sinister?
Without a richer group history and a more robust picture of the victim, I was puzzled about why the other six members of the group chose the actions (and inactions) they did in response to him.
I found the scenes where the characters act out Shakespeare scenes—specifically the Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet sequences—long and tedious. I don't think they added enough to the story or advanced the plot enough to justify their length.
I also wonder how plausible it is that college actors would be thrown into acting out parts of plays without rehearsal or even knowing who was playing what parts beyond their own.
I could have used less of the characters speaking in Shakespeare lines to each other in their everyday conversations.
(Unless the point of it was for us, the reader/observers, to feel as annoyed with it in the way the characters' fellow students likely would have been annoyed with it, thinking the Shakepeareans were cliquey and full of themselves. In which case, mission accomplished!)
Finally, I have to wonder why James and Oliver couldn't admit to being in love, or at least attracted to each other.
For one thing, Alexander, another member of their clique, is dallying with another man, and no one seems surprised or judgmental about it.
For another, sure, it was the late 1990s and pre–social media. LGBTQA+ issues weren't as widely discussed by as many people as they are now.
But Dellecher was an arts school where theater was a big deal. Even Shakespeare nerds would have been aware of the greater US theater scene, including Rent taking Broadway by storm in 1996.
Would being queer, gay, bi, and/or pansexual—or even just sexual experimentation—really have been that shocking, verboten, or problematic in this context?
Did James, Oliver, or both just not want to be labelled as gay, perhaps because they thought it would limit their acting career prospects? Did they know (or suspect) Richard was a homophobe whose reaction would be unbearable if they were a couple?
Or was this a more garden-variety case of two members of a close-knit group being attracted to each other but not wanting to admit it, the same way many main characters in romance novels don't—because true love can be scary and/or cause a big disruption in the group if revealed?
Whatever the case, I think if we'd known more of the group's history, more about Richard, and more about the context, James and Oliver's inability to admit feelings for each other might have made a little more sense.
There were things I really liked about this book and problematic things that kept me from loving it.
Likes: I have only a passing knowledge of Shakespeare, but I know enough to see how this story echoes Shakespeare's tragedies, complete with characters making choices and then wrestling at length with the consequences—especially the internal (psychological) consequences.
The second time I read the book, I noticed some subtle, Shakespeare-esque foreshadowing that I couldn't see, and thus didn't appreciate, during my first read, when I was just wondering what's going to happen next.
I also have a big soft spot for a ensemble cast, especially where the characters have a history and the various interpersonal relationships between them inform how they get along with each other, as well as the narrative.
I liked the (to me) subtle depiction of an unacknowledged love between two characters that I gradually realized was an undercurrent propelling many of the characters' decisions—sometimes in ways they realized, sometime in ways they didn't seem to.
I felt the same pleasant frustration I do when reading romances: "For heaven's sake, would the two of you finally hold each other, kiss, and admit that you're in deeply love with each other already?!"
Finally, I appreciated that there was an interesting moral question left open for pondering at the end.
Problems: I could have used a little more history about the groups' years at the school before their fourth year, in which the story takes place.
Knowing more about how they became the clique that they are and how the various sub-relationships within the clique have evolved and changed over the years would have made their decisions and actions more understandable.
I also thought the murder victim was one-dimensional and too thinly drawn.
Was that physical bullying, in fact, not really a surprise to them? If so, why? Had his bullying been more subtle in the past, perhaps taking the form of emotional and/or verbal abuse? Had it started out with "teasing" that could have at first been written off as "just a joke" or the recipient being "sensitive" if they felt hurt?
Or did he always have an obnoxious, outsize ego or a wildly moody temperament that the rest of the group was so used to putting up with that they didn't realize it was gradually morphing into something sadistic and sinister?
Without a richer group history and a more robust picture of the victim, I was puzzled about why the other six members of the group chose the actions (and inactions) they did in response to him.
I found the scenes where the characters act out Shakespeare scenes—specifically the Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet sequences—long and tedious. I don't think they added enough to the story or advanced the plot enough to justify their length.
I also wonder how plausible it is that college actors would be thrown into acting out parts of plays without rehearsal or even knowing who was playing what parts beyond their own.
I could have used less of the characters speaking in Shakespeare lines to each other in their everyday conversations.
(Unless the point of it was for us, the reader/observers, to feel as annoyed with it in the way the characters' fellow students likely would have been annoyed with it, thinking the Shakepeareans were cliquey and full of themselves. In which case, mission accomplished!)
For one thing, Alexander, another member of their clique, is dallying with another man, and no one seems surprised or judgmental about it.
For another, sure, it was the late 1990s and pre–social media. LGBTQA+ issues weren't as widely discussed by as many people as they are now.
But Dellecher was an arts school where theater was a big deal. Even Shakespeare nerds would have been aware of the greater US theater scene, including Rent taking Broadway by storm in 1996.
Would being queer, gay, bi, and/or pansexual—or even just sexual experimentation—really have been that shocking, verboten, or problematic in this context?
Did James, Oliver, or both just not want to be labelled as gay, perhaps because they thought it would limit their acting career prospects? Did they know (or suspect) Richard was a homophobe whose reaction would be unbearable if they were a couple?
Or was this a more garden-variety case of two members of a close-knit group being attracted to each other but not wanting to admit it, the same way many main characters in romance novels don't—because true love can be scary and/or cause a big disruption in the group if revealed?
Whatever the case, I think if we'd known more of the group's history, more about Richard, and more about the context, James and Oliver's inability to admit feelings for each other might have made a little more sense.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Alcohol
kristinamv's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Murder
111222333's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia and Eating disorder
kgreer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Wow. The emotions that I am feeling right now are hard to describe. The style of writing, the plot, the ending…it was “good as the best”.
I read this from a borrowed copy from my library and just bought it for my personal collection because of how much I loved it.
The most tragic thing about this book is that I can’t read it again for a first time and experience the thrill anew. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
I read this from a borrowed copy from my library and just bought it for my personal collection because of how much I loved it.
The most tragic thing about this book is that I can’t read it again for a first time and experience the thrill anew. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism and Biphobia
nhelregel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Listened to the audiobook for this one - the only thing with that was that at the beginning it was hard keeping so many primary characters straight. Happily they fall into archetypes (that the play, and then be extension who they are off-stage) so I had everyone down fairly quickly. Overall: this was very interesting and moody and despite there being several mysteries I didn't really feel the need to solve them (because of the frame narrative you know you'll get some answers anyways). At first I felt like one of the major plot points was unearned - it seemed unrealistic that so many people would all agree on a mind-boggling decision. However over the course of the book I felt like it became more earned, sort of? The teasing out of everyone's secrets and the dynamics between the characters were the most interesting and well-written parts, to me. The ending was... annoying in some ways. But overall I very much enjoyed the book, and would recommend! (Sorry if this review is vague - trying not to spoil anything)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Blood
vbaltazar07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Perfect dark academia mystery with all the drama and emotions of being a theater kid
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Eating disorder, Blood, and Suicide attempt
tallhousecookies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
aquariusvintage's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Suicide, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
cheye13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
As a theatre kid with a literature degree, this sure did Hit. I don't know what to say about this one that hasn't been said. It hits the mark with actors and acting classes, torture of academia, drama of a semi-forced family unit, Shakespearean magnitude. Using excerpts of Shakespeare as a literary device to set the tone and shape the story was impressively clever. The audio performance was magnificent.
I was enjoying everything as it was and then the final "twist" (kinda?) absolutely wrecked me. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending specifically, but the story as an overall piece of art is wonderful.
I was enjoying everything as it was and then the final "twist" (kinda?) absolutely wrecked me. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending specifically, but the story as an overall piece of art is wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Blood, and Vomit
a couple instances of drowning, near-drowning, attempted drowning.