mushroom55's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
gooseplumes's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
2.0
leirben's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sadiereadsagain's review against another edition
4.0
This is not my usual sort of book. I am not a horror or a fantasy fan in the slightest. I would far rather read about women sitting in the laundrette down the street than ghosts & demons. Just thought we should get that clear before I say that...I really liked this book!
The characters were very well fleshed out, & the storyline so well paced, that it didn’t feel like a cheap horror. The violence & more out-there moments were used to enhance the story rather than for shock value. The quality of the writing was such that in many ways, it was nearly a believable story.
I don’t know where this particular book lies along the spectrum of Brite’s work, but it has definitely made me see her as an author to read more from.
The characters were very well fleshed out, & the storyline so well paced, that it didn’t feel like a cheap horror. The violence & more out-there moments were used to enhance the story rather than for shock value. The quality of the writing was such that in many ways, it was nearly a believable story.
I don’t know where this particular book lies along the spectrum of Brite’s work, but it has definitely made me see her as an author to read more from.
heartachesbi's review against another edition
Got bored
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Infidelity
varvara's review against another edition
5.0
This book feels like a weird, terrifying home to me. I think that this mix of a horror book and a sappy love story is what makes it work so well, bringing me hope of all things. And I love Brite's language; things and phrases I read at 14 are still stuck in my brain, 15 years later %) It probably would have been a very different review if I had read it at 29 for the first time, I guess; but if anything - I'm glad that I hadn't :)
emiliosandoz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
rebelmorrow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
batsworthy's review against another edition
2.0
Missed the mark for me :( No vampires in this one, and romanticizes codependent-type tropes a bit too much. I liked a lot of parts of it but as a whole I just don't think I would do a re-read!
absoluteabsolem's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i read this p fast, which means i was invested in it, which is a good thing. i'm a slut for haunted houses so you bet your ass i was super into whatever was up with trevor.
but god. i do have a lot of issues with a lot of things.
like many people here i am fairly certain this would have driven me insane had i read it during my teenage years. i am, sadly, too late.
exquisite corpse is one of my very favourite novels of all time, but i seem to have a hard time connecting with the rest of billy martin's work. the characters are edgy, the writing is edgy, it all feels very edgy just for the sake of it. once again, would have eaten this up twelve years ago.
the thing is, i don't understand zach. his place in the story, i mean. sure, he's there to show trevor that love is a thing that can be something other than a hammer buried in a skull. i get it. but why give him so much screentime ? the story, to me, was about trevor, about his trauma, about coming to terms about what happened to him, about his fear of being just like his father. and maybe i'm wrong ! but i just don't rly get why zach is a main character.
i think this would have snatched my wig as a short story centered on trevor and the house, probably written a few years later in martin's career. but i did not care for half of what happened in this novel. trevor himself sometimes says or does things that feel like they're happening bc the author wanted them to happen, not bc it made sense character-wise.
you could say giving drawing blood three stars feels like a lot given what i just wrote, but i still enjoyed it despite its many flaws. i just feel like it could have been so much *more*, y'know ? or maybe i just have very specific standards. or maybe i'm just a hater. idk. you tell me
but god. i do have a lot of issues with a lot of things.
like many people here i am fairly certain this would have driven me insane had i read it during my teenage years. i am, sadly, too late.
exquisite corpse is one of my very favourite novels of all time, but i seem to have a hard time connecting with the rest of billy martin's work. the characters are edgy, the writing is edgy, it all feels very edgy just for the sake of it. once again, would have eaten this up twelve years ago.
the thing is, i don't understand zach. his place in the story, i mean. sure, he's there to show trevor that love is a thing that can be something other than a hammer buried in a skull. i get it. but why give him so much screentime ? the story, to me, was about trevor, about his trauma, about coming to terms about what happened to him, about his fear of being just like his father. and maybe i'm wrong ! but i just don't rly get why zach is a main character.
i think this would have snatched my wig as a short story centered on trevor and the house, probably written a few years later in martin's career. but i did not care for half of what happened in this novel. trevor himself sometimes says or does things that feel like they're happening bc the author wanted them to happen, not bc it made sense character-wise.
you could say giving drawing blood three stars feels like a lot given what i just wrote, but i still enjoyed it despite its many flaws. i just feel like it could have been so much *more*, y'know ? or maybe i just have very specific standards. or maybe i'm just a hater. idk. you tell me