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maevekilcarr's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
sky_maris'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
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
aparker89'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
Find out the truth behind their crime and those that came after and discover where The Magic Man really does get his magic!
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ohyayitsapril's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
bookbelle5_17's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
kermit_the_wrong's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Vomit, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
teaandtales1's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Ronald Malfi
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 436
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Horror
𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:... Eh 🤷♀️
𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭: Yes, but by the thinnest of hairs
𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝: Contemporary
𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:👻👻
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: ⭐⭐⭐
This is the fourth or fifth book I've read by Malfi, and I'm a big fan. Unfortunately this is my least favorite of his, as I never felt it got off the ground and went somewhere.
The book had a very similar vibe to two of my favorite Stephen King novels - It and Revival, but sadly the plot faltered. Jaimie is the main character and protagonist, but I found him to be the least interesting of the main four.
The friends are brought together after one of them witnesses a mysterious magician who had preyed on them as children, but besides them trying to solve that mystery, I felt like the book just kept adding more and more childhood trauma on these characters, with very little moving the plot along. Somewhere in the middle, an additional villain is added, and it just didn't work for me.
Despite it not living up to expectations and having quite a few pacing problems, there are still moments of lovely writing in here and I did really enjoy about half of it.
⭐⭐⭐
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury