Reviews with content warning for Gore - Fantasticland

Hurricane 'Sadie' causes devastation in Florida whilst 400 employees holed up in 'FantasticLand' (an entertainment park similar to Disneyland) are cut off from the rest of the state & from outside help. The employees are expected to be OK as there are emergency plans in place as well as plenty of food & water available in the park. When the Florida National Guard enter the park several weeks later, they are greeted by the sight of dead bodies & signs of violence. Something went badly wrong in FantasticLand.

At first I thought interviews were an odd choice as a narrative to tell this story, but as it went on I realised that it was the best format & the author's choice made more sense. More of the story is gradually revealed & the reader gets different takes on the same events to show things aren't always what they seem. It's an interesting read that works as a social commentary. There's mention about social media & how it has people glued to their phones, & what would happen if the internet was shut off. The big question though is why a group of (mainly) young people would turn on each other in such a short time. There are several quotes online about the fact that people are smart as individuals but become stupid in groups. Is this true?

I think it's partly this - you only need one sociopath to persuade others to follow their lead as most people are social or herd animals & want someone to follow. One group acting in violence causes others to defend themselves or either take up the offence. The other component is that when people are removed from normal life into an artificial situation, they can feel divorced from reality & therefore do things they normally wouldn't. This can lead to great co-operation & heroics or it can lead to violence & tragedy. The human capacity for both good & evil is an interesting dichotomy.

Content Warnings

achay91's review

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dark 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

4.75

Content Warnings

blklagoon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

onewoman_bookclub's review against another edition

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dark 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? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

that_cow_girl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is fucking CRAZY! I didn’t think I’d be a fan of the format but it was very easy to pick up and read. The author was amazing with all of the different characters and SO MUCH HAPPENING!! my jaw dropped at certain points and I was thoroughly invested. I couldn’t stop reading.

Content Warnings

helenastinks's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

arealpup's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

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