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professor_dinosaur's review
- 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
2.5
The biggest nick to my enjoyment was the stiffness of the characters. Though distinct and fun, they struggle to feel round in the way the narrative seems to ask of them, more “caricature” than “character.” I think the source material does a lot of leg work for this book. Without having the background knowledge of the Scooby-Doo cast, much of the characterization is fairly flat (ex. the term “jock” had considerable economy). Many of the interpersonal conflict feels stilted as a result, subservient to the action-plot. The prose can be very clever at times, and then too clever, almost like a charming but metaphor-bloated college essay. Action scenes got increasingly hard to follow, not impossible to understand but maybe too nitty-gritty-detail-heavy.
I know it’s a toss-up, but I found the switch between prose and the “play” style nice. I can see its utility - what would the author really do in between these snappy scenes anyways, write dialogue tags? When it came to the more self-aware parts of this fourth-wall-flirtation, I was skeptical. Especially references to “the camera” and whatnot. Really just felt out of place - there’s no cameras in Scooby-Doo.
The whole “Scooby-Doo for adults” pitch was dicey with me the second Andy kicked those guys in the nuts. I never felt like the book treated its more serious “adult” themes with disrespect, but there were times (ex. Arkham Asylum, just about anything involving Peter) where the cartoon-ifying of adult (and traumatic) experiences gave me tonal vertigo. Maybe I can compare it to an Adult Swim program. This is where the prose did the book a disservice. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, when you put “edgy” (read: adult) material into an otherwise playful book it can be hard not to fall back on “edgy” (read: angsty) prose. I think this issue is a symptom of the quirky prose and overwhelming identity of the book (Scooby-Doo x Lovecraft, you won’t forget this for a single page), and not one that spoiled the book for me. For the record, the scene where Andy kicked those guys in the nuts felt sort of like a Reddit comment, if that makes sense.
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Classism
sajetheherb's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Transphobia
tak_everlasting's review
- 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? Yes
2.25
The story itself was fun, although it was very much a play through of action movie tropes, which was then pointed out in numerous 4th wall breaks. The plot carried the characters, rather than the other way around.
The characters were functional, but their dynamic didn't feel complex enough to have been actual childhood friends. Also Peter, the dead guy, tends to be really slimey toward his supposed friends.
Overall the writing felt underedited. The conclusion felt unfinished, especially with a lot of the stuff around Peter remaining unclear
The strongest scene in the book is when they have to explain to their mentor figure that Peter died.
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Transphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Minor: Abortion and Acephobia/Arophobia
olma's review
- 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
Moderate: Gore and Violence
Minor: Transphobia
disnelyse's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Transphobia
courtwj's review against another edition
2.75
Moderate: Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
ria_bee_3c's review against another edition
Graphic: Misogyny, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
ilaxaria's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, and Transphobia
thechocolatefinger's review against another edition
- 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
1.25
Peter = Fred (leader)
Kerri = Daphne (popular) + Velma (smart)
Nate = Shaggy (on drugs and vaguely mentally ill)
Tim = Scooby Doo (dog)
Andy was just a tomboy and didn’t reflect any of the characters tbh
The writing style was like half normal speech and then written like a script sometimes. It was inconsistent and annoying. There was some breaking-the-4th-wall metaphors and descriptions which were funny though
Overall it was bad and it was so clearly man writing lesbian relationship
The trans character wasn’t even trans unless it was so transphobic that the writer thinks trans people choose to be trans
it was a
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing
Minor: Bullying and Transphobia
The transphobia wasn’t even to a “real” trans character but they did out her and then misgendered her they were really annoying vibes to the tomboy girl and it was vaguely transphobic/homophobicdfrancis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Transphobia and Alcohol