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renyoi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.75
At the risk of sounding demented, I think this book would have benefitted from more explicitly horrifying moments. Everything was left to imagination and interpretation, which enhanced the experience for the first 70% of the book, but when I never truly know the horrors of what happened, some of the intensity and bite is taken out of the story. It could have gone further.
That said, it was still an enjoyable, tense, mysterious read, and even though it did not have enough satanic panic-based 80s horror for me, my experience reading it was good.
That said, it was still an enjoyable, tense, mysterious read, and even though it did not have enough satanic panic-based 80s horror for me, my experience reading it was good.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Forced institutionalization
junowo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.75
This book promised a dark, intense experience—and I would say it mostly delivered. It was absolutely a page turner, and for most of the book I struggled to put it down.
However, for me, I felt like there was so much hesitance to go into detail about the horror of what happened to the children in Litani that it left a lot unfinished. Many of the smaller plot lines were briefly mentioned in a finishing way, but left no details. I think Lourey is masterful at creating tension and discomfort for readers, but the lack of following through on that tension, as well as the way the end of the book wraps up quickly and neatly, felt a bit disappointing.
However, for me, I felt like there was so much hesitance to go into detail about the horror of what happened to the children in Litani that it left a lot unfinished. Many of the smaller plot lines were briefly mentioned in a finishing way, but left no details. I think Lourey is masterful at creating tension and discomfort for readers, but the lack of following through on that tension, as well as the way the end of the book wraps up quickly and neatly, felt a bit disappointing.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug use
boba_nbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
If you’re looking for something creepy and a little too real, look no further. Lourey’s latest novel takes the reader back to the 80s when there was a satanic cult scare, but as people worried about the cults, they forgot to look for the monsters in their own towns and homes. Told from the perspective of a young teen, the reader witnesses the horrors of child abuse and parental trauma. The novel unravels our view of a “safe” neighborhood and trusting our neighbors. Sure to send a chill down your spine, “Litani” is worth the scare.
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Abandonment
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