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nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Bullying, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Eating disorder
finn_vibing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Gore, Cursing, Car accident, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Body horror, Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Child death, Grief, Self harm, Gun violence, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual harassment, War, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Animal cruelty
theimposter's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Confinement, Physical abuse, War, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Medical trauma
Minor: Dementia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Cursing, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Chronic illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
thetearex'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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Death, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Cursing
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
linneak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Violence, Torture, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
reclusivebookslug's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
On one hand, this book has an incredible ability to suck you in and keep you reading. Given the length of the book, I thought it might be more slow-paced or take its time on the exposition, but I was pleasantly surprised at how instantly gripping it was. It was very emotionally engaging and affected how I felt even when I was not actively reading it. At turns, it is scary, disturbing, sad, funny, and endearing. I was interested in the themes of generational trauma, cycles of abuse, and society's complicity in the evil of a few that allows suffering to spread.
On the other hand, I didn't enjoy the religious overtones of the latter part of the book and the reveal was something of a disappointment. It was grand in scale but not in emotional resonance for me. Sometimes plots of such cosmically huge proportions lose their impactfulness for me because they feel less personal. The very ending, in particular, I don't like.
The depictions of mental illness aren't the best. This is in line with part of a larger issue with the horror genre using mental illness as a plot device. There's also a very positive and uncritical depiction of a sheriff, which seems out of touch with the reality of the role of law enforcement.
The subplot of Mary Katherine's virgin pregnancy is annoying. The book ending with the implication that the baby will grow up to be the next pawn in the nice man's plan to escape Hell is such a disappointment. Despite the huge scale of the conflict, the resolution doesn't seem to reach that level of importance. Sure they escaped disaster, but it is only a temporary solution to a problem with no end in sight. I didn't expect them to kill the devil and rid the world of all evil or anything, but they didn't do anything to stop or change the cycle, they just created a slightly happier ending to this one circuit.
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Mental illness, Torture, Kidnapping, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, and Child abuse
Mental health-related triggers are the biggest ones. They use a lot of common horror tropes like: not being able to trust your own thoughts; paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions being real; being constantly watched; the world ending; everyone but you and those close to you being crazy or out to get you; etc. which were upsetting to me, and I don't even have particular mental health reasons that make them triggering to me.goodolmc'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? No
3.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child death, Violence, Suicide, Self harm, Mental illness, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Murder, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Grief, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Torture, and Physical abuse
hellokatya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a slow burn that truly throws you wholly into the universe of christopher and kate.
it was a mesmerizing and well thought out world, and i'm so happy to have been able to participate.
highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a lot of character development throughout all characters (main and side), a fully developed plot, and has the time to delve into this beast.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, Car accident, Grief, Gun violence, War, Slavery, and Suicide
abbyg007's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, Car accident, Child abuse, Dementia, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Suicide