yeimyaileen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book is very good. super atmostpheric. i audibly gasped a few times. i felt like ellis was a bit less developed than i wanted, but in the end, i understand why. i also liked the light commentary about the role of womens mental health in horror novels, and how their experiences are discredited despite their inclinations for the truth. this book is peak gaslight gatekeep girlboss.
slight spoilers for these violent delights below, in conversation with a lesson in vengeance.
Spoiler
- you dont understand how fortuitous it was for me to pick this up after these violent delights. like gays going through violent things together and it ends up destroying them?
- people keeping secrets from one another but also holding evidence against each other in sick and twisted ways? when the romance is purely physical, and its hard for them to feel love, because love isnt what they see? rather, they share violence and an inclination to controlling one another?
- i really like these novels about obsession, and the idea that one of the characters finds pleasure in the perverse, and thus feels shame, despite the other character accepting them for who they are
- and the book being dedicated to felicity?? as if she knew what was going to happen anyway? just like the chess game with julian and paul?
- and i really like how ambiguous the magic is in this book? like was she really being haunted? did the magic actually exist? my skewed answer is yes. that doesnt mean she wasnt being gaslit so hard.
- to end, this book has no men in it. slay.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide
lipstickitotheman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Classism, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood, Alcoholism, Addiction, Murder, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content
niccolowilliam's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Moderate: Vomit and Animal death
Minor: Racism, Classism, and Animal cruelty
its2early4this's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Alcohol, and Mental illness
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Classism
abbyhrc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Alcoholism
faeryacademia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Racism, Eating disorder, and Classism
crackedspines_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Grief, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Violence, Mental illness, and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Vomit, Addiction, Animal death, and Medical content
Minor: Racism and Drug use
ableism: against someone with psychotic depression medical content: mentions of hospitalization, medicationka_ke'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mental illness, Cursing, Murder, Vomit, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Addiction, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Body horror, and Suicidal thoughts
robinvesper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Eating disorder
mybeevenme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I also didn't really find Felicity that lovable/relatable, because she strikes me as the kind of person I'd avoid in real life because of how she treats others.
I like Ellis tho, a lot actually, but I felt like her portrayal was inconsistent, what could be due to the nature of Felicity being an unreliable narrator.
In general I feel like Felicity as a narrator was a bit too unreliable. don't get me wrong, I like unreliable narrator's, but only to a degree.
All in all if you like thriller and dark academia this definitely might be the book for you.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, Blood, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Alcohol, and Gun violence
Minor: Vomit and Forced institutionalization