bizzybee429's review against another edition
*through megaphone* WHEN WILL THRILLER/HORROR NOVELS AND MOVIES STOP RELYING ON THE DEMONIZATION OF MENTALLY ILL PEOPLE
Listen, I was not a fan of this book. This was seriously compared to Silence of the Lambs?? That’s a joke, right? Don’t talk to me or my son ever again.
Where do I even begin? The title of this book is freaking weird as hell. Blood Will Out. what does that mean??? I don’t understand. It’s not even a complete sentence. It’s not even a fragment. It means nothing. who is grammar and coherency? This title doesn’t know her
The worst thing about this book is the writing wasn’t bad! I wasn’t enthralled, persay, but I would say I was having quite an enjoyable time!! If this had been a contemporary about the adventures of Ari and Lynn it would have been fun! But noooooooo, the book had to ruin it with problematic content and a terrible and boring plot line.
First off, the incredibly lackluster story. I told myself that if I got to chapter six and still, nothing had happened, I would stop reading. Guess what? literally nothing happened. Sure, we get flashbacks and back story, but I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear about romance and shopping. I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear backstory for the villain, no matter how scary it may be. I’m reading a horror/thriller novel for action, and tension but this book literally had none. Zero. Zip. Granted, I only read fifteen percent of the book, but if you are describing your thriller as “gripping” then there should be action starting on page twenty at the latest.
There was also this like, weird conversation between Ari and Lynn in one of the flashbacks and I was like ????
THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN LOLLLLLLL Like seriously that is just, like, what? How does this contribute to anything? What does “the boring kind who’s boring” even mean?? If you’re going to give me a bunch of character info-dumping at the beginning of a book at least make it actually contribute to who they are as a person. I’m so. I don’t even know.
trigger warning // homophobia and transphobia for the next few paragraphs
I cannot wait for death. This book has a lesbian character, which is cool! Which is good! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. But. The d-slur is used seemingly out of nowhere in this novel, in this quote :
But, also terrible is a little while later the same character says another crappy thing, but this time it’s transphobic.
end trigger warning
Another thing that annoyed me in this book was the cultural appropriation. Listen, I’m not Japanese, but I am, like, 99.9% sure that white people aren’t supposed to wear kimonos. That’s cultural appropriation, buddy. And so why is Lynn purchasing what is described as a “tight kimono deal”? And planning to wear it to a dance? Wtf??
trigger warning // demonizing of mentally ill people
oh boy so this made me mad!! This book describes the killer (won’t say who for spoilers) as “insane” and “psychotic” and I’m honestly, like, so annoyed. Why in every single thriller novel is the murderer mentally ill? This is also true in movies. I’m so sick of thrillers demonizing mentally ill people, especially when mentally ill people are actually more likely to be VICTIMS of violence, rather than perpetrators. This pisses me off to no extent. I can’t even form coherent thoughts.
end trigger warning
In conclusion, sit. this. one. out. This was boring and crappy and problematic and not fun. I’m going to go watch Silence of the Lambs now.
I was provided an eARC copy by NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review. All quotes and opinions are taken from an unfinished copy.
Listen, I was not a fan of this book. This was seriously compared to Silence of the Lambs?? That’s a joke, right? Don’t talk to me or my son ever again.
Where do I even begin? The title of this book is freaking weird as hell. Blood Will Out. what does that mean??? I don’t understand. It’s not even a complete sentence. It’s not even a fragment. It means nothing. who is grammar and coherency? This title doesn’t know her
The worst thing about this book is the writing wasn’t bad! I wasn’t enthralled, persay, but I would say I was having quite an enjoyable time!! If this had been a contemporary about the adventures of Ari and Lynn it would have been fun! But noooooooo, the book had to ruin it with problematic content and a terrible and boring plot line.
First off, the incredibly lackluster story. I told myself that if I got to chapter six and still, nothing had happened, I would stop reading. Guess what? literally nothing happened. Sure, we get flashbacks and back story, but I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear about romance and shopping. I am not reading a horror/thriller novel to hear backstory for the villain, no matter how scary it may be. I’m reading a horror/thriller novel for action, and tension but this book literally had none. Zero. Zip. Granted, I only read fifteen percent of the book, but if you are describing your thriller as “gripping” then there should be action starting on page twenty at the latest.
There was also this like, weird conversation between Ari and Lynn in one of the flashbacks and I was like ????
“’You’re a girl, for Pete’s sake. You’re supposed to live for shopping.
‘I’m not that kind of girl.’
‘Oh, really? What kind of girl are you then?’
‘The boring kind who’s boring.’”
THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN LOLLLLLLL Like seriously that is just, like, what? How does this contribute to anything? What does “the boring kind who’s boring” even mean?? If you’re going to give me a bunch of character info-dumping at the beginning of a book at least make it actually contribute to who they are as a person. I’m so. I don’t even know.
trigger warning // homophobia and transphobia for the next few paragraphs
I cannot wait for death. This book has a lesbian character, which is cool! Which is good! Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut. But. The d-slur is used seemingly out of nowhere in this novel, in this quote :
”’Well, lookee lookee,’ said a smarmy voice. ‘Teen d*kes on a shopping spree.’”Which is, like, not okay? I mean, the character is obviously a creep and a bad person and the book acknowledges that, but at the same time the book never specifically challenges the use of a slur, it’s more of a general “oh yeah he’s the worst what a jerk,” and I wish that the use of a gross slur hadn’t been in this book at all, or at least seen as specifically not okay. Why even use slurs? Why not just, like, not? I’m so done.
But, also terrible is a little while later the same character says another crappy thing, but this time it’s transphobic.
”’Do you feel like a man, Lubnick? Under those clothes do you look like a man?’”and I will say, again, that it is definitely established that the character is a creep and gross and a terrible human being, but the fact that this and the d-slur are never specifically challenged just doesn’t sit well with me, especially since it kind of came out of nowhere and my mind wasn’t prepared to deal with this kind of crap.
end trigger warning
Another thing that annoyed me in this book was the cultural appropriation. Listen, I’m not Japanese, but I am, like, 99.9% sure that white people aren’t supposed to wear kimonos. That’s cultural appropriation, buddy. And so why is Lynn purchasing what is described as a “tight kimono deal”? And planning to wear it to a dance? Wtf??
trigger warning // demonizing of mentally ill people
oh boy so this made me mad!! This book describes the killer (won’t say who for spoilers) as “insane” and “psychotic” and I’m honestly, like, so annoyed. Why in every single thriller novel is the murderer mentally ill? This is also true in movies. I’m so sick of thrillers demonizing mentally ill people, especially when mentally ill people are actually more likely to be VICTIMS of violence, rather than perpetrators. This pisses me off to no extent. I can’t even form coherent thoughts.
end trigger warning
In conclusion, sit. this. one. out. This was boring and crappy and problematic and not fun. I’m going to go watch Silence of the Lambs now.
I was provided an eARC copy by NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review. All quotes and opinions are taken from an unfinished copy.
b00knerd's review against another edition
2.0
I just could not finish this book. I tried but each time I picked it up it did not hold my interest.
ripples_and_embers's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun read. I found myself quite shocked at the end when the killer was revealed, which rarely happens. The story was dark and twisted making for a great psychological thriller. It kept me on my toes. I was frustrated with Ari's parents because I felt like they didn't listen to her or believe her enough. They weren't advocating enough for her. I also didn't feel like the police listened to her enough. Overall, this was a good story that I enjoyed.
lightfoxing's review against another edition
Blood Will Out is an (upcoming) YA horror novel that begins with our main character, Ari, waking up at the bottom of somewhere fathomless, dark, with a head wound and in pain. Told in chapters that alternate between her perspective and that of a psychopathic killer, we witness Ari start to piece her memory back together, fight for her survival, and come face to face with the killer once more. She finds herself trying to solve the mystery of who the person is, robbed of her most immediate memories prior to finding herself at the bottom of the well, unheard by the adults who are supposed to listen to her - her parents, the police chief, even the medical professionals who urge her to go back to school and forget about it.
On the one hand, the pacing is excellent. The story moves along extremely quickly, and it's definitely a page turner. The alternating chapters are effective, because all of the creep factor comes from the chapters told from the killer's perspective. Ari and her best friend, Lynn, make for excellent characters. Ari is soft and sensitive and finds her strength. Lynn is fiery and full of energy, and suuuper gay, which is fantastic. They're the bright stars in this novel, for sure. Treggiari also does a fantastic job of misleading the reader more than once. Every time I thought for sure I had sussed out who the killer was, I found myself very wrong indeed. The prose itself is also good - clear, with occasional strong pieces of description that really set the mood. Tregiarri creates atmosphere in an extremely compelling way.
On the other hand, I found the dialogue a bit wooden, and the adult characters (excluding Lynn's mother) are frustrating. Although one might assume it could be realistic, the sheer amount of adults refusing to listen to a clear victim is staggering. While it's necessary for the plot, one wonders if the way the plot plays out is necessary given how many adults had to act obtuse in order to pull it off. I am admittedly not a reader of horror, so perhaps that made it a bit harder to suspend my disbelief.
On the whole, it was a good, quick read. It doesn't drag, the main characters are easy to root for, and the writing is sound, if a little clunky at times.
On the one hand, the pacing is excellent. The story moves along extremely quickly, and it's definitely a page turner. The alternating chapters are effective, because all of the creep factor comes from the chapters told from the killer's perspective. Ari and her best friend, Lynn, make for excellent characters. Ari is soft and sensitive and finds her strength. Lynn is fiery and full of energy, and suuuper gay, which is fantastic. They're the bright stars in this novel, for sure. Treggiari also does a fantastic job of misleading the reader more than once. Every time I thought for sure I had sussed out who the killer was, I found myself very wrong indeed. The prose itself is also good - clear, with occasional strong pieces of description that really set the mood. Tregiarri creates atmosphere in an extremely compelling way.
On the other hand, I found the dialogue a bit wooden, and the adult characters (excluding Lynn's mother) are frustrating. Although one might assume it could be realistic, the sheer amount of adults refusing to listen to a clear victim is staggering. While it's necessary for the plot, one wonders if the way the plot plays out is necessary given how many adults had to act obtuse in order to pull it off. I am admittedly not a reader of horror, so perhaps that made it a bit harder to suspend my disbelief.
On the whole, it was a good, quick read. It doesn't drag, the main characters are easy to root for, and the writing is sound, if a little clunky at times.
flaviathebibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
As the Penguin Teen Canada Twitter account put it in this tweet, Blood Will Out is definitely not for the faint of heart! If you’re looking for a thriller that will make your skin crawl, that will keep you on the edge of your seat (literally and metaphorically), and that will possibly keep you up at night thinking about it (either in fear, or due to your being upset that you’re trying to sleep instead of reading more of Blood Will Out) this is the book for you! As is mentioned on the back of my ARC, Blood Will Out is definitely a Silence of the Lambs for YA readers. It’s been a while since a book gave me goosebumps and kept me awake like this!
The book is told from the perspective of Ari, our main character, (in the third person) as well as the perspective of her kidnapper (in the first person). Despite this, however, I wasn’t able to guess who the kidnapper is until it was revealed! What a roller coaster of emotions this books was! As I mentioned above, this book kept me awake because A) I was a little bit scared to sleep, and B) because I wanted to continue reading it to see what happens, rather than trying to sleep. I’m a slow reader, but definitely flew through this book, not only because of it’s shorter length, but also because it was highly addictive, and because the author kept me guessing until the very end about certain details. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy thrillers with quite an amount of violence, gore, and action, and also with a focus on family and friendship.
The book is told from the perspective of Ari, our main character, (in the third person) as well as the perspective of her kidnapper (in the first person). Despite this, however, I wasn’t able to guess who the kidnapper is until it was revealed! What a roller coaster of emotions this books was! As I mentioned above, this book kept me awake because A) I was a little bit scared to sleep, and B) because I wanted to continue reading it to see what happens, rather than trying to sleep. I’m a slow reader, but definitely flew through this book, not only because of it’s shorter length, but also because it was highly addictive, and because the author kept me guessing until the very end about certain details. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy thrillers with quite an amount of violence, gore, and action, and also with a focus on family and friendship.
cstange17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
tjlcody's review against another edition
2.0
Oh lookee, all my least-favorite tropes in one book:
1. Ham-fisted preaching by Appropriately Woke Best Friend
2. Best Friend who's allowed to push around and disrespect the main character because "it's for their own good" (and of course the best friend is Always Right)
3. "Almost Every Man is an Evil Perverted Asshole Because This Is Totally How the World Works. What? No, of course I leave my house sometimes! Why do you ask?"
4. "Small Towns Are Full of Racist Homophobic Sexist Hicks. Stereotyping? What's that?"
Two stars because the killer's dialogue and Ari's escape were fairly intriguing. The rest was awful.
1. Ham-fisted preaching by Appropriately Woke Best Friend
2. Best Friend who's allowed to push around and disrespect the main character because "it's for their own good" (and of course the best friend is Always Right)
3. "Almost Every Man is an Evil Perverted Asshole Because This Is Totally How the World Works. What? No, of course I leave my house sometimes! Why do you ask?"
4. "Small Towns Are Full of Racist Homophobic Sexist Hicks. Stereotyping? What's that?"
Two stars because the killer's dialogue and Ari's escape were fairly intriguing. The rest was awful.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
The premise is great -- a story told from the voice of the victim and that of the criminal -- but the execution is weak. The writing is dull, the voices don't sound at all authentic, and the twist made little to no sense.
Go ahead and pass. There are much better thrillers out there.
Go ahead and pass. There are much better thrillers out there.
zoemig's review against another edition
1.0
I really wanted to love Blood Will Out by Jo Treggiari, like I want to love every book I pick up, but especially once I got to the end and read the author bio only to learn that Treggiari actually lives in Nova Scotia (ie: not that far from me). Sadly, I had a lot of issues with this dark YA thriller about a girl, Ari, who wakes up at the bottom of well and reflects back on the days leading up to in an attempt to determine who put her there and when they are coming back...
While there were some moments of intensity in Blood Will Out, overall the book really dragged. For a thriller, it felt like nothing was happening, it was just Ari in the well and a bunch of boring flashbacks. Ari herself was also pretty boring and hard to root for, though I did like the strong female friendship in the book. In addition to Ari's perspective, there were passages written from the perspective of her abductor, which were incredibly graphic with a lot of animal violence. The killer felt like such a stereotypical serial killer it was really annoying. I mean, Ari even looks up a list of characteristics and it matches pretty perfectly. There is one main twist at the end, but it was just frustrating and out of nowhere in the context of the book. Unfortunately, overall, Blood Will Out was a disappointing read for me.
While there were some moments of intensity in Blood Will Out, overall the book really dragged. For a thriller, it felt like nothing was happening, it was just Ari in the well and a bunch of boring flashbacks. Ari herself was also pretty boring and hard to root for, though I did like the strong female friendship in the book. In addition to Ari's perspective, there were passages written from the perspective of her abductor, which were incredibly graphic with a lot of animal violence. The killer felt like such a stereotypical serial killer it was really annoying. I mean, Ari even looks up a list of characteristics and it matches pretty perfectly. There is one main twist at the end, but it was just frustrating and out of nowhere in the context of the book. Unfortunately, overall, Blood Will Out was a disappointing read for me.
branpender12's review against another edition
1.0
First of all, I only requested this book because it was compared to the Silence of Lambs and boy oh boy I was excited! I found that this was clearly an attempt to sell books and a complete lie as I would compare nothing within this story to that of the classic it is referred to.
I do not even finish this book because of all the grammatical and technical errors I know that this is an advanced reading copy, but it should be at least eligible to be read. Also, is classified as a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it or anything that would make me want to continue to read. I mean no disrespect to the author or the publisher. The book just was not for me.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
I do not even finish this book because of all the grammatical and technical errors I know that this is an advanced reading copy, but it should be at least eligible to be read. Also, is classified as a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it or anything that would make me want to continue to read. I mean no disrespect to the author or the publisher. The book just was not for me.
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.