Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

22 reviews

lizacorn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

meganemarshall's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

The back cover blurb made me buy it, and as soon as I started the book, I didn't put it down. This was genuinely a fun time. I love the way it was written. It's a book about in the form of a book written by a different author in the forms of interviews. I just loved that it was just a different style instead of a straight kind of narration. 

I'm not gonna sit here and argue if it was believable or not. It's a book. It's fiction.
However, most of the MC in this book are teenagers or early 20 somethings, and they are  morons on their best days. So I just allowed that to just take me through the book. And I got to enjoy reading it without contemplating some bigger picture, like if it could happen or if it was ridiculous or not. 

The only part of this book that fails is characterization. Cause it's written in the interview style, you don't really get to dive deep into any particular character. Brock pops up the most, and he is the main boogeyman. There's just no great character arch for anyone in the book, which is the only thing it falls flat on. However, I think the plot, the setting, the grittiness, and the horror/gore make up for it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Cannibalism

cscharfway's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book is really dark, but is a very fascinating look at human nature. It’s an updated telling of Lord of the Flies, except it takes place in a theme park, not a desert island. I like the format of telling the events through interviews, making it seem more shocking as layer-by-layer is added. However, it’s not a format that allows the reader to really bond with the characters or experience their fear deeply so I was a little bit disappointed there. I still don’t quite understand how the character of Brock was led to commit the acts he did and I wish it showed his descent into evil a little more clearly. It’s still a very disturbing book, and the way it was presented felt like this type of event could actually happen, which made it all the more frightening. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Drug use and Kidnapping

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

poirot's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Drug use and Vomit

Minor: Child death

purdygurly's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Torture

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Cannibalism

exlibrisphoebe's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Excrement, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Alcohol

ehamlett's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and War

Minor: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts

gaky_m's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is 100% going to stick with me for a while. I love the format of a "non fiction" book focused around a "real life event," via interviews. I found the different people telling their own stories had their own, unique voices that all felt like real life interviews. And I love that, just like a real tragedy, sometimes you don't quite get all the answers you want or need

(the Warthogs, anyone?!)

Be warned, the content can get very dark, but if you're in the mood for something like that this book is for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Gun violence and Cannibalism

jessikalange's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I never read a horror book before, so it was shocking me the amount of gore that happened in this book. I really enjoyed this book though for the reason I enjoy reading dystopian/post apocalypse books. Definitely read the trigger warning if you're considering reading this book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Confinement and Cannibalism