juliebruzon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Torture
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.75
Β Finished reading: November 3rd 2023
βTo think our young people are capable of what we saw chills the blood for a very long time.β
It's true that I don't tend to read a lot of proper horror titles, but I saw Fantasticland mentioned and I couldn't resist adding it to my TBR. I have a weak spot for an amusement park setting, and there was just something about this premise that sounded both terrifying and absolutely fascinating. I have to say this before I continue though: this book isn't for everyone and you definitely have to suspend your disbelief to be able to get a positive reading experience. If you are able to do that, make sure to brace yourself for a extremely twisted ride! Seriously, this basically reads like Lord Of The Flies on acid, but set in an amusement park after a hurricane hits. I wasn't expecting the non fiction vibe of this story though; Fantasticland is written in a way that makes you feel like you are reading the result of an investigation by a journalist. This journalist helps narrate the story, although the plot mainly consists in first-person accounts of people present at the park. The interviews are presented in a way that slowly reveals just how bad things got before they were finally rescued... And boy, things get properly twisted and graphic long before that final page. Torture, mutilation and even cannibalism; nothing is too much in this story. What I did find a bit lacking was the explanation of how things escalated so quickly after the hurricane hit... I was expecting something more elaborated, or at least more of an answer to that question. That said, I can't deny that this was a perfect Halloween read.Β
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Child death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death, Stalking, Violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Bullying, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, War, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, and Torture
_kristinsworld's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This. Was. INSANE. π‘πΉπ°π£π’βοΈ
A very interesting look at human behavior. These kids/ya instantly went into survival mode and were basically at war the entire 5 weeks they spent stranded at Fantasticland waiting to be rescued post hurricane. This was so bizarre, compelling and interestingly told. I loved this style of true crime and interview format. Highly recommend the audiobook. The actors were great.
A very interesting look at human behavior. These kids/ya instantly went into survival mode and were basically at war the entire 5 weeks they spent stranded at Fantasticland waiting to be rescued post hurricane. This was so bizarre, compelling and interestingly told. I loved this style of true crime and interview format. Highly recommend the audiobook. The actors were great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
averagesparrow's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Blood, Child death, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Torture, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Drug use, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism
moonyslily's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
_terah_hansen_'s review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Murder, Violence, and Blood
caitiebarton'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Cannibalism, War, Excrement, Gore, and Body horror
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
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.Β
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.Β
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gore, Violence, and Death
achay91's review
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
Graphic: Torture, Death, Bullying, Gore, Cursing, Murder, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Rape, Gun violence, and Alcohol
blklagoon's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder