ravenclaw_percabeth's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, Vomit, Misogyny, Ableism, and Car accident
Moderate: Abortion, Cancer, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Blood, and Domestic abuse
lisaandthebooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I do know, that I'm very sensitive and that books, that are as graphic as this, probably just aren't for me. Also I absolutely hate cheating in books. This book would have been so much better if there hadn't been a romance in there. I do understand though how it made the experience in the house more intense for the protagonist and how it made the ending more intense.
I don't particularily like Lowen. She was terrified even when nothing has happened yet and I feel like it was kind of unrealistic that she chose to stay in that house after reading the manuscript. I would have read the whole thing in one sitting, grabbed all my stuff and then left.
I belive she even says that the only reason she didn't was because of Jeremy. I have to admit that I kind of liked him in the beginning. He was nice to her and even in the biography he seemed like a fun and genuine person. After the ending though it kind of feels like he orchestrated the whole thing.
The romance was just weird. I feel like it wasn't at all a problem for him to cheat on his wife. Like I guess he says he feels guilty but we get to see none of it. I felt like he was flirting with her ever since he met her. (He even kind of admits that when saying he felt a connection to Lowen that was stronger than the connection to his wife had ever been in the bathroom! Like that was 5 min. after they met and coincidentally right when he sees her in just her bra? - I don't actually think that is the reason, still.) Lowen also did not feel like someone still grieving the death of her mother. The romance just felt like it was so disconnected to the rest of the story and didn't make any sense in the context.
I did think it was quite interesting to read the autobiography though. I generally really like different POVs / that every other chapter showed the past. It was disturbing but it was still interesting to see her thoughts. It's unlike anything I've ever read for sure.
I have been spoiled for the plottwists in this book but I don't think it took away too much. I think I would have expected it anyways. Also the letter in the end was a truly great ending. I do not like Lowen and the way she acted throughout the book but especially the end was just weird.
Some of the book reminded me of a modern Jane Eyre. I mean he's rich and has a child to take care of, he hires her and she lives with him, there is his wife (locked up) in the 'attic'... I do not particularily like Mr. Rochester either so I guess my feelings towards the two books are similar. (Jane Eyre is better though)
I did read it all in one sitting though so I guess it couldn't have been that bad. I was completely captivated. I sometimes didn't want to continue and get it over with but sometimes I was genuinly intruiged. I have way more thought on this book than that but I don't really want to think about this book anymore. I don't think it's written badly and I liked the format. The story was alright and I don't like the 'romance'. I get why people like this book but if you're sensitive when reading about neglected children and abuse be careful when reading this. I would definitely tell anyone thinking about reading this to check out the trigger warnings first.
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
planetaery's review
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Blood, Misogyny, Death, Child death, Pregnancy, and Abortion
Moderate: Sexual content, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
Lowen kinkshames her ex and acts like no one should be into that(even though the book hints at potentially a sexual relationship with Jeremy that doesn't seem as vanilla as she'd like everyone else to have), and later on reading Verity's autobiography (warning for anti-choice comments)Spoiler
shames her for attempting abortion and being a "terrible mother" though when reading you clearly get a sense of how uncomfortable she was with the whole situation and all Lowen can think about is how she should've looked at the "bright side", even going as far as to saying Verity is so comfortable writing villains because she is one.krystinawithay's review
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual content
morimortis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Suicide attempt, Injury/injury detail, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
mallory10100'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic relationship
i highly recommend checking this one out if you think you can handle it, iโm still in shocklemondifficult's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I genuinely can't think of a worse book that I have read till now.
So she spends the entire book writing about this very badly written women who is a 2d villain for no reason apart from she just is somehow inherently evil? The only thing verity care about or wants or needs is dick. Thats it. Thats her only motivation as a person. And this drives her to hate her kids and then eventually paint her only neurodivergent kid as an emotionless psychopath who kills her own sister ( doing so much for representation there). This is what happens for 90 percent of the book. The woman is horrible and she is so so badly written your feminist heart will shrivel up. ......and then all of this is excused because it wasn't ever real. It was just a fake journal used as a coping mechanism??????? She represents two minorities in every horrible stereotypical way you can think but it doenst count cuz it was all fucking fiction????
Apart from that the woman mc and narrator also has no real human motivation or personality except very conveniently wanting things that drive the plot ahead (having a crush on a grieving married man that she ofc has to act on and wanting to read the book even though it makes her vomit)
And that is it. Two horribly written 2d women and predictable fucking plot with a nonsensical twist.
Graphic: Abortion, Child abuse, Death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism and Misogyny
Spoiler
very graphic descriptions of self attempted abortion and trying to kill an infant. The only disablity rep in this book is showcased as a child with aspergers being perceived as a psychopath who commits murder of her own twinmadarauchiha'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
1.0
honestly I only read the Verity 'So Be It' parts. it was a neat plot twist on a plot twist. I think the plot falls apart if you think too much about it. It's uh. Very serendipitous, frankly. CWs are incomplete.
content warnings [incomplete]
minor drowning, cancer, death of parent, insects, child death, death, asphyxiation, sexual content, religion,ย
medium emetophobia / vomit, self harm, miscarriage, abortion, gore, death,ย
major blood, car accidents, child abuse, child death, domestic violence, drowning, misogyny, murder, pregnancy, sexual content, toxic relationships
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Self harm, Miscarriage, Abortion, Gore, and Death
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Sexual content