lissybeth91's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
You know how there are some characters who, within the first few pages, you know you would gladly die for?
Piranesi is one of those characters. His open, eager attitude, coupled with a scientific precision and an utter humility is incredibly charming. I would gladly have read his journal entries about his explorations of The House even without the mysterious plot simmering in the background.
Piranesi is one of those characters. His open, eager attitude, coupled with a scientific precision and an utter humility is incredibly charming. I would gladly have read his journal entries about his explorations of The House even without the mysterious plot simmering in the background.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Gaslighting, Slavery, Death, Confinement, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit
jdcorley's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As liminal horror finds its way from creepypastas and video games into a full blown subgenre, Clarke enters with a dark fantasy that you will find as striking and inescapable as the labyrinth depicted inside. There's a lot of bad liminal horror and dark fantasy out there, where it's vaporwave for the sake of vaporwaveness, or has no real view of the modernity whose anxious underside it springs from, but Clarke's careful focus on academia, relationships and agency makes this work as sharp as a needle. Don't miss it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting
ella_w_h's review against another edition
4.0
Found this incredibly unsettling but a gripping read all the same
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Slavery
mim_flowers's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Minor: Violence, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Vomit, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
ihavenoideawhattoreadhere's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting
Minor: Kidnapping
eeveefae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
I really enjoyed this book. I found that I did not want to put it down. The story is told through the journal entries of the main character. They live in a world that is made up of endless classical buildings attached to one another. There is an ocean in the basement and the sky in the upper levels. The main characters descriptions of the world are really beautiful. This is definitely a story that the less you know the better it will be the first time you read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, Slavery, and Kidnapping
aritag's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Confinement
neverlandangel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence
daniellekat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A perfect blend for readers who love character books and readers who love plot books.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that I couldn’t put down. The beginning was confusing and slow, but the writing was worth pushing through. I’m glad I didn’t know much about this going in because I think that really helped me enjoy it and reflect on it. I wasn’t sure about the ending as soon as I had finished, but going back to read it again made me bump up my original rating.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that I couldn’t put down. The beginning was confusing and slow, but the writing was worth pushing through. I’m glad I didn’t know much about this going in because I think that really helped me enjoy it and reflect on it. I wasn’t sure about the ending as soon as I had finished, but going back to read it again made me bump up my original rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness and Gun violence
Minor: Murder, Violence, and Vomit
ambers's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
I'm of two minds about this book. I read the whole thing in one sitting, and I honestly thought I was going to give it 5/5 stars. Then, as I started to think about it, I changed that to 4/5. At the time of actually siting down to write this review, I've dropped it to 3.5/5.
Why? There was obviously plenty that I loved, given my knee jerk reaction. The lush writing, the strange ecology, the dreamlike quality and its descent into nightmare - all of that was fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't get past the author's choice to write her only gay character as a predatory villain with a pattern of taking advantage of younger men, including lumping his sexuality in with his 'transgressive' nature (which explicitly includes several despicable acts). It isn't that queer characters can't be villains (although I would, honestly, caution authors to be careful of that regardless - being aware of harmful tropes is important), but this particular blend of using sexuality to highlight someone's perversion is harmful and dated. The longer I sit with that, the more I sour on this book. It's a real shame, because Piranesi could've been something beautiful.
Why? There was obviously plenty that I loved, given my knee jerk reaction. The lush writing, the strange ecology, the dreamlike quality and its descent into nightmare - all of that was fantastic. Unfortunately, I can't get past the author's choice to write her only gay character as a predatory villain with a pattern of taking advantage of younger men, including lumping his sexuality in with his 'transgressive' nature (which explicitly includes several despicable acts). It isn't that queer characters can't be villains (although I would, honestly, caution authors to be careful of that regardless - being aware of harmful tropes is important), but this particular blend of using sexuality to highlight someone's perversion is harmful and dated. The longer I sit with that, the more I sour on this book. It's a real shame, because Piranesi could've been something beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Murder