Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

The Headmaster's List by Melissa de la Cruz

4 reviews

aseel_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I gotta admit, the plot twist had me gagged?? Jackson being a whiney guy?? Did not see that coming. But I kind of hated the podcast and how fake classist and exploitative it was. I also didn't like how no one really stepped up and checked in on Spencer like she was taking so many pills, someone should have checked her and also sent her to therapy for her PTSD. Did love the dog tho

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bashsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

This book really made me both sad and mad because I deeply enjoyed it for a good 80% of the text. I felt like it dealt with the topics of true crime podcasts and PTSD very well. I enjoyed Spencer a lot as a main character, and Ripley the service dog being clutch all the time was great rep. HOWEVER, this book is ultimately a mystery, and nothing irritates me more than when I can't figure out the mystery because the author gets their details confused -

one major plot twist is that Jackson Chen cut the breaks of Ethan's car to steal his spot on the Headmaster's List, but early in the book, it is confirmed that Jackson was already on this damn list (that's why he gets paired to help Spencer), making this clue seeded later in the book distracting and contradictory. De la Cruz is not an indie self-publisher, and I cannot believe her editors missed that. Also, the plot twist of the reckless rich kid actually being good and the guy with the criminal father being bad was not great either.

I'm so disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

julia_12319's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Car accident

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Vomit

a_libra_library's review against another edition

emotional tense slow-paced

• 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

2.0

The longer I think about this book, the more I realize I didn't like it. It would've been better if Melissa had taken the easy way out with plot twist - see spoiler tag if you want to know- Also Spencer being a Bipoc character didn't seem so important and it was used as an insult? Nothing made much sense.

The best friend was the killer instead of the boyfriend whose girlfriend was paralyzed at a party a year before. Ethan was supposed to die but the sophomore did instead? How messed up would it have been if the his brother was the reason he died? Anyways the author made it way too complicated

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail