andievillegas'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse
atr1975's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Body horror, and Gore
Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Vomit, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Medical content, and Alcoholism
bookishxintrovert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Grief, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, and Sexual assault
asti_64'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Murder, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Police brutality and Adult/minor relationship
helliepad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.75
What's worse is that though this book was written in the 90s, edited in 2013, and I've read it in 2022, this could have very well been a contemporary novel still set in my current time, or perhaps even in my grandchildren's time. It is the first time I've seen priests being involved investigators in crime novels instead of just witnesses.
Every single character in this book is dealing with decades of moral muck and personal issues and I don't have any poetic words for it. This is a situation that happens every day and I'm too familiar with the helpless, bleak feeling of the Philippines' extrajudicial system to even be surprised at it.
Very honest portrait.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking
eliseraine's review against another edition
4.0
Bilang isang Pilipino, masasabi kong totoong-totoo ang mga mensaheng gustong iparating ni F.H. Batacan sa kaniyang nobela. Nakakalungkot isipin na lahat ng aking nabasa ay nangyari at nangyayari sa aking bansa.
Hindi ko ito binigyang ng perpek na marka dahil sa tingin ko ay mas mailalahad pa nang mas maayos at nakakaintriga ang mga pangyayari.
Graphic: Child death and Murder
itskayleighlove's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
imperialarchive'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
4.25
All I needed were "priests", "solve murders", and "serial killer" to get me on board with this book. I love how Batacan writes in detail, especially with the laboratory and dump site settings, making the scene alive and easy to visualize. Each character, major and minor, was well-introduced, even including a short background on them. For the most part, I genuinely love her writing style.
However, even if the build up was good, I feel like the second half of it was rushed. Batacan took her time setting everything up for the big reveal but there was this one part where I felt like all the necessary information was just suddenly dumped for the backstory to make sense.
Still, it was a great attempt on tackling social issues and mental health. The dynamics between the Church and the law enforcement was something to look forward to. The reality of how the government and the Church work was well-executed. Being able to relate to the topic and the overall setting makes it much more interesting.
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, Violence, Mental illness, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual harassment
seeshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Mental illness, and Child death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
dgrachel's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Child death, Murder, Pedophilia, and Violence