hoviet97's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
camilacadibe's review
3.0
Huh.
3.5, maybe?
This was so weird. And I love weird. I even loved the weirdness here. I also loved being disturbed by the main character. And I liked the open ending. I felt a bit creeped out a couple of times while reading, and the descriptions were really good (even if anatomically wrong). I liked the father-daughter relationship and all the ways it wasn't a real father-daughter relationship. I really, really liked seeing Ada grow from an innocent-ish little girl to... I don't even know.
Ada was definitely an unlikable character, but I didn't mind that. She was a bit heartless and cared very little for her father and even less for the "Cures". She only cared about not getting in trouble and having her little fucktoy forever and all for herself. But at least she was interesting, and not afraid to go after what she wanted, even if it was wrong.
Samson was... There. He served for no purpose whatsoever other than making Ada hungry for dick. And yes, he was sick, no doubt whatsoever. Like, really, when a guy goes and tells you letter for letter "I'm sick, something is not right with me, please fix him", you fucking believe him and kick his ass to the curb. Like Father said, "sick is sick is sick". Add that to the fact he's a grown man fucking a "woman" who looks like she's 13 years old, and the red flag is fucking neon, sparkling and glowing in the dark.
The sister was... Also there. To try and make the so-called plot present, I guess. It failed, obviously. Because, as I've seen a reviewer say, "How many times can we be beaten in the head with before it stops being considered a plot twist?".
The Father was my favorite character. I still don't get his motive for creating a daughter, and he definitely could've done a better job raising her, but everybody makes mistakes. I like the idea of this guy with so much understanding of magic choosing to use it to heal undeserving people. And I will not forgive the author for not telling us what the hell they took as payment.
And yeah, the book was really short, but I couldn't stop reading it for the life of me. I needed more of the creepy vibes, and by the end, I didn't feel like it needed to be any longer. So I really can't say I didn't enjoy the book. It was engaging, eerie, and entertaining. I did like it.
What I didn't like was the lack of a decent plot and the complete failure to deliver any kind of twist. Like, the book acted like it did but it didn't - so the entire last chapter is like... Yeah, so? Actually, the last 50% felt like that.
So, we spend the whole book waiting for a... Well, a point, I guess? And it never really comes, since we already knew everything that was going on.
I just don't get it.
But an overall good read!
3.5, maybe?
This was so weird. And I love weird. I even loved the weirdness here. I also loved being disturbed by the main character. And I liked the open ending. I felt a bit creeped out a couple of times while reading, and the descriptions were really good (even if anatomically wrong). I liked the father-daughter relationship and all the ways it wasn't a real father-daughter relationship. I really, really liked seeing Ada grow from an innocent-ish little girl to... I don't even know.
Ada was definitely an unlikable character, but I didn't mind that. She was a bit heartless and cared very little for her father and even less for the "Cures". She only cared about not getting in trouble and having her little fucktoy forever and all for herself. But at least she was interesting, and not afraid to go after what she wanted, even if it was wrong.
Samson was... There. He served for no purpose whatsoever other than making Ada hungry for dick. And yes, he was sick, no doubt whatsoever. Like, really, when a guy goes and tells you letter for letter "I'm sick, something is not right with me, please fix him", you fucking believe him and kick his ass to the curb. Like Father said, "sick is sick is sick". Add that to the fact he's a grown man fucking a "woman" who looks like she's 13 years old, and the red flag is fucking neon, sparkling and glowing in the dark.
The sister was... Also there. To try and make the so-called plot present, I guess. It failed, obviously. Because, as I've seen a reviewer say, "How many times can we be beaten in the head with
Spoiler
incestThe Father was my favorite character. I still don't get his motive for creating a daughter, and he definitely could've done a better job raising her, but everybody makes mistakes. I like the idea of this guy with so much understanding of magic choosing to use it to heal undeserving people. And I will not forgive the author for not telling us what the hell they took as payment.
And yeah, the book was really short, but I couldn't stop reading it for the life of me. I needed more of the creepy vibes, and by the end, I didn't feel like it needed to be any longer. So I really can't say I didn't enjoy the book. It was engaging, eerie, and entertaining. I did like it.
What I didn't like was the lack of a decent plot and the complete failure to deliver any kind of twist. Like, the book acted like it did but it didn't - so the entire last chapter is like... Yeah, so? Actually, the last 50% felt like that.
So, we spend the whole book waiting for a... Well, a point, I guess? And it never really comes, since we already knew everything that was going on.
Spoiler
It was so completely obvious that Samson was a pedophile and fucking his sister. It was also so completely obvious that she was pregnant with his child. So to end the book with said child coming back looking for his father and saying "My father's name is Samson, my mother didn't have a brother" was like... And? We already knew all that fuckery was going on. What's the point of making the incest twist when you make it clear again and again throughout the book that it is happening?But an overall good read!
pameana's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ausurzha's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sambrumagin's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was so messed up but soooo good. I was listening to this in the dark driving home, and I got a chill down my spine. This was a perfect read for spooky season.
Adding to this 10/12:
I keep thinking about how haunting this book is. The fact that our main character is so removed from society yet interacts with “cures” is so interesting because she seems to do so well enough that no one is overtly scared of her. The simplicity of the setting and characters makes it that much more (spooky, scary, creepy?) weird and I loved it.
Adding to this 10/12:
I keep thinking about how haunting this book is. The fact that our main character is so removed from society yet interacts with “cures” is so interesting because she seems to do so well enough that no one is overtly scared of her. The simplicity of the setting and characters makes it that much more (spooky, scary, creepy?) weird and I loved it.
mightymegan25's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kholma's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5