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w0rms_for_brainz's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
hardcover_hazel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
"The living room is empty. Empty as a ditch a girl might have fallen into."
Girls of little hope had me intrigued. Three girls disappear into the woods and only two come back, covered in blood with no memory of what happened.
"All she knows for sure is that one of her best friends is missing, and the other wants her to lie about it"
We travel across different thoughts with each chapter the perspective of a range of characters. The missing girl, Kat, has diary entries from the past we follow along with.
"Sometimes it seems that's all getting older is: just a slow accumulation of damage"
This book is listed as horror fiction and the twist (and a scene or two with gore) is so. good. Please check the trigger warnings before reading as lots of blood tends to be mentioned š©·
"Even the trees, she feels, are aware of her footsteps pressing the soil against their roots"
I didn't expect the twist. Starting out as a murder mystery, it expands into something more, something wild, that forever changes the town of Little Hope.
"Blood mixes with her saliva, creating a perfect map of her"
I loved this so much š„° thank you to Johnathan Ball Publishers for the giveaway I won with this book š©·āØ
Girls of little hope had me intrigued. Three girls disappear into the woods and only two come back, covered in blood with no memory of what happened.
"All she knows for sure is that one of her best friends is missing, and the other wants her to lie about it"
We travel across different thoughts with each chapter the perspective of a range of characters. The missing girl, Kat, has diary entries from the past we follow along with.
"Sometimes it seems that's all getting older is: just a slow accumulation of damage"
This book is listed as horror fiction and the twist (and a scene or two with gore) is so. good. Please check the trigger warnings before reading as lots of blood tends to be mentioned š©·
"Even the trees, she feels, are aware of her footsteps pressing the soil against their roots"
I didn't expect the twist. Starting out as a murder mystery, it expands into something more, something wild, that forever changes the town of Little Hope.
"Blood mixes with her saliva, creating a perfect map of her"
I loved this so much š„° thank you to Johnathan Ball Publishers for the giveaway I won with this book š©·āØ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Vomit
Moderate: Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Death of parent, and Murder
leelaamanda's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? N/A
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
grunbean's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
5.0
A book that canāt be put down. I think as expecting a spooky and quirky story - I picked this up near the YA section of my local bookstore. It is SO much more than that.
Iām not sure how to summarise it. You NEED to read it yourself if youāre at all into mysteries and horror and the dread of growing up. It is gore galore, so it could be a bit much for those who donāt have much of a stomach for that.
I dearly wish this combination of authors will collaborate again!
Iām not sure how to summarise it. You NEED to read it yourself if youāre at all into mysteries and horror and the dread of growing up. It is gore galore, so it could be a bit much for those who donāt have much of a stomach for that.
I dearly wish this combination of authors will collaborate again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abortion
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Have you ever read a book that was both eerie and grotesque, yet soo utterly fascinating you were unable to put it down? Well, thatās what Girls of Little Hope was for meā a fabulously weird and unexpectedly compelling YA Horror from writing duo Sam Beckbessinger and Dale Halvorsen. Which perfectly captures the anxiety, angst and (relatable) growing pains of adolescence, but with a much needed (and surprisingly bloody) supernatural twist thatās guaranteed to keep even the most seasoned Horror fans on their toes.
Set in a small California town during the 1990s, Girls of Little Hope follows the mystery and aftermath of the disappearance of three girls (Donna, Rae and Kat) and the strange circumstances surrounding Donna and Raeās return three days later: naked, covered in blood and with no memory of what happenedā¦
I loved every deliciously creepy second of this! Iām not usually a huge Horror reader, but the atmospheric and expertly detailed, small town setting (complete with sinister undercurrent) and compelling, misfit characters had me utterly hooked.
Donna, the first character weāre introduced to is portrayed as quite impulsive and the most vocal of the trio but her sense of loyalty, compassion and long hidden vulnerabilities really made her one of my favourite characters.
Rae, our other āsurvivorā is resident āgood girlā who comes from a respectable, church going family whoās perceived perfection and conservative values have forced Rae into a suffocating state of repression and self loathing that was truly heart breaking to watch unravel.
Kat, our amateur sleuth and budding journalist is the only character whose POV is told via journal entries which really added a sense of intimacy and allowed us to explore their deep bond of friendship in such exquisite detail.
We also get to explore Katās mum Marybethās POV, whose complicated mother-daughter relationship juxtaposes perfectly with Katās innermost thoughts and really captures the flaws and nuances that really make up this fascinating, formidable and surprisingly three dimensional supporting character.
As well as Katās diary entries, weāre also treated to newspaper articles and Riot Grrl-esque āZine pages, which cleverly immerses us in the history of Little Hope, its supernatural goings on and the angsty 90s high school experience without the pace slowing down or becoming too info dumpy.
I canāt say much else without spoiling the plot but, if you love shockingly twisty, House of Hollow meets Stranger Things style Horror, or books that scream āWe are the weirdos misterā, then you definitely need to add this to your TBR just check TWs beforehand.
Also, a huge thank you to Kabriya over at Titan Books for the incredible proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Religious bigotry
rhensie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Dude, what the fuck? I thought I was getting into a mystery crime novel and got .... very much something else??? A very raw exploration of female friendship, generational trauma, and being an outcast, alongside some pretty horrific horror going on. I would very much recommend reading this book, but be aware that you are not getting into a simple mystery here. The cover is not great, but don't let that put you off; if you can handle the trigger warnings, this is worth a read.
This sort of take on the fungi pandemic is super interesting, considering our own situation on this planet right now, as well as other media that do similar things. I wish we'd learnt more about it, but that also wasn't really what this book was about.
Our main cast of characters are fascinating. Kat, Rae and Donna all have unique flaws and yet fit together incredibly well, and it is devastating to learn what actually happened to them, and the fact that they will never live their full lives. The only thing missing for me was more exploration of the girls' sexuality and identity - there are some fairly heavy handed hints with respect to these issues, but none explored fully, though perhaps there just wasn't time for that in this book.
For anyone who wants to read this, be aware that there is graphic description of self-harm bycutting , including a somewhat lengthy and graphic section of the book that was very difficult to read. Also be aware that there is some fairly substantial fatphobia from one of the main characters.
Our main cast of characters are fascinating. Kat, Rae and Donna all have unique flaws and yet fit together incredibly well, and it is devastating to learn what actually happened to them, and the fact that they will never live their full lives. The only thing missing for me was more exploration of the girls' sexuality and identity - there are some fairly heavy handed hints with respect to these issues, but none explored fully, though perhaps there just wasn't time for that in this book.
For anyone who wants to read this, be aware that there is graphic description of self-harm by
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Suicide attempt
lily_peach's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Self harm, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Lesbophobia
Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
A parent gives their child diet pills, extreme body horror