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queersubtext's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Murder
aparker89's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely fantastic writing!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
nostoat's review against another edition
4.75
I was a bit apprehensive to read this book, as I have strong feelings about madness in narrative, as well as triggers around unreality. However van Veen handles it with such a deft hand. While some readers might still find it difficult or triggering to read (there are doctor's notes sprinkled throughout that, while deeply compassionate, might still be difficult), I didn't.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Blood
Moderate: Incest and Sexual assault
Roos is intentionally starved by her mother throughout the beginning of the book.adragoninspace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, and Death of parent
blacksphinx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall this is a great novel about the lingering effects of trauma and what that does to those who survive. If you're a goth who is always tweeting about "toxic yuri", open a new tab and buy it now.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Animal death, Trafficking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
It's a massive spoiler butpeachy_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Vomit
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Suicide attempt
illtakethenightshiftx's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, and Self harm
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, and Injury/Injury detail
emily_journals's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed the inter-character relationships going on in this book and I really loved the world-building. You can tell that the author really took time to develop the relationships in this book, especially those between Roos and Ruth and between Roos and Agnes. The ghost/spirit lore established in this book was so intriguing and unique. The level of intricacy in this lore of relating not only how someone dies, but where their body resides to how a spirit comes to be and has to be reawakened was really brilliantly done.
As typically expected when reading a debut novel, there were some craft issues with this book. While I did really love the inter-character relationships in this book, I did think that the character development of singular characters could have been explored more. I also thought that the pacing of this book was a bit off, this book felt very slow and drawn out for the level of plot and character development that were happening within this book, but I think learning when to draw out or condense parts of a story typically come with practice so I'm usually a little more forgiving of debut authors on pacing. My biggest complaint about this book is that even though it was a horror novel and there was a level of anticipation as certain points, I felt that this book was greatly lacking in suspense. For me, the interview framing device was taking suspense out of this story rather than adding to it and I wish that the framing had been done a little differently so that I still felt suspense going through this story.
Overall, this was a very strong debut and the character relationships and lore building generally outweighed the craft issues for me.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
pattytru08's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship