Scan barcode
aseel_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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? No
3.0
This was really odd, there was too much prior history between all of the characters, that drove so much of the dialogue, but we never really got it explained. I liked the use of using horror fiction tropes to drive the plot but it was weakened with all of the Japanese references, which I would have preferred (with a bit of explanation).
I can't believe he just killed his friend?? Wtf and why was cat so against the wedding/relationship?? Again, this stuff should have been explained more
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia and Fire/Fire injury
rnbhargava's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
It’s brief, there’s messiness between the characters, once it really gets going it’s swift and horrific.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
It’s a horror book with messy histories between its characters. They go and mess with stuff they probably shouldn’t have messed with because they love going to haunted or supposedly haunted places. There is gruesome material as it plays out.sn8man's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Infidelity and Classism
Minor: Mental illness
spadedigsbutts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
A book that was fun to read for the visual language and descriptions, but was much weaker elsewhere.
The main conflict is essentially a dysfunctional friend group's issues being exacerbated by a ghost haunting when they were already at the breaking point. Like in most horror media, the cast is pretty unlikable and are mainly defined by their relations to each other, without much nuance independently. This is a normal convention for this scenario in the horror genre, but I wish characters had more arcs or at least more detailed interpersonal relations than "x slept with x once" as the few details we do get just don't have much payoff in the book.
Most characters feel like they start and end the same, which may partially be the point considering it's a super toxic friend group, but it does leave you up in the air when it just comes to an end without much of a huge conclusion. If you read it hoping for some sort of character resolutions, you won't get it.
If you came for a cool japanese influenced haunted house story where interpersonal relationships come to a tragic head, you unfortunately really don't get that. I wish we'd had more time to develop things in the book as while the writing style is lush and detailed, the actual set elements and characters are flimsy. A good read for a bus ride or waiting at a doctor's office, but not much out. I doubt I'll ever reread it.
The main conflict is essentially a dysfunctional friend group's issues being exacerbated by a ghost haunting when they were already at the breaking point. Like in most horror media, the cast is pretty unlikable and are mainly defined by their relations to each other, without much nuance independently. This is a normal convention for this scenario in the horror genre, but I wish characters had more arcs or at least more detailed interpersonal relations than "x slept with x once" as the few details we do get just don't have much payoff in the book.
Most characters feel like they start and end the same, which may partially be the point considering it's a super toxic friend group, but it does leave you up in the air when it just comes to an end without much of a huge conclusion. If you read it hoping for some sort of character resolutions, you won't get it.
If you came for a cool japanese influenced haunted house story where interpersonal relationships come to a tragic head, you unfortunately really don't get that. I wish we'd had more time to develop things in the book as while the writing style is lush and detailed, the actual set elements and characters are flimsy. A good read for a bus ride or waiting at a doctor's office, but not much out. I doubt I'll ever reread it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Confinement and Misogyny
the_books_music_life's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
0.75
The premise sounded so good, like a really scary Japanese horror story, but for me, it missed the mark entirely. This book is so short and they is a lot of background with the characters that is important to the story itself, but is glossed over due to how short the book is.
I was confused a lot of the time about many, many different things. I disliked every single character, none had any redeeming qualities.
The whole 'horror/ghost story' aspect of the book wasn't even the main focus. That's right, a horror book where the actual ghost story/horror wasn't the focus. It made no sense!
I was confused a lot of the time about many, many different things. I disliked every single character, none had any redeeming qualities.
The whole 'horror/ghost story' aspect of the book wasn't even the main focus. That's right, a horror book where the actual ghost story/horror wasn't the focus. It made no sense!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Excrement, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Grief
readingwithcoffee's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
0.25
The book is incredibly misogynistic to the only other woman in the book who’s also the only other woman of color which you think given the premise of the book and murder bride ghost and the fact she is the bride, the protagonist Cat’s misogyny and projected malice to her (and frankly every other character as well) will be confronted but instead it never is and various issues between the two never get confronted and the bride attacked by a ghost of murdered bride is somehow barely a presence in a book that built up into internal personal conflict by insulting her the entire time both u. The protagonist mind and to the other characters the second she’s not in the room (but don’t worry Talia the bride is somehow the “fake” passive aggressive woman here for trying to be civil to her grooms mentally unwell friend during HER wedding who does everything to try to prevent it but acts and so does the book like she is horrible and the aggressor because god forbid a character doesn’t like the protagonist.)
Also all the Meta commentary/break the forth wall is incredibly bad and is showing not telling and trying to force the horrible plot along hamfisted (which is a shame bc when the story is trying the protagonist like the sun the solar systems revolves around the writing is fairly good) especially when the only other character who really does this is a fifth character who isn’t funny but self declares himself the comic relief that’ll die first or second when he’s not funny he’s just very cruel and hypocritical and his presence at a wedding of people he can’t name doesn’t even make sense if he only cares about a woman who barely got invited as well and it’s never addressed how he he clearly has a pattern of sexism if he was horrible to talia the entire time especially when she was in danger, abandoned cat when she was suffering, and his wife is only brought up by other people-yet isn’t brought up when he tells another man to abandon his wife?
It feels like the book reward narcissist cruel behavior because it presents the protagonist as always right even when she’s clearly in the wrong and as if it’s too much for her supposed best friend who stopped her from suicide to ask her to be literally just a decent person at his wedding she invited herself to? And again bending over backwards to have the non Japanese character know more then the Japanese man while also kinda over randomly bringing up the white man’s race to say he’s so privileged when Asian characters saying it are established as rich, are more dehumanizing of the woman of color they’re not friends with (and there’s a contrived love triangle) and again the two men who both happened to reject the protagonist are punished by the book and presented as deeply flawed when they’re dramatically kinder and more compassionate then the protagonist or her friend and literally explicitly established as saving her life which makes the book lack any real moral compass or coherent theme. Like the man who possibly lost his wife to a brutal death gets no sympathy for breaking down over it but the book has the protagonist say she’s not weak because she didn’t cry over another person dying which screams thinking real men don’t cry is somehow feminist if women (or men) don’t express basic decency and compassion??
The novella also brings up race weirdly to have the Chinese character say why would he know Chinese when the half Japanese man doesn’t when his again so close friend that’s studied Malaysian studied Japanese art and is kinda racist in multiple ways an assumption? Or even saying the queer character dies first in horror when that’s not even typically true versus the black character but there are no black people and it reads hypocritical and whiny for the characters to want to enjoy a characters money (especially when they are also clearly upper middle class) but also use it? Especially for a book that tries to confront Eurocentrismo for how it punished the white man it made into a caricature of American white privileged with class and blond hair and even a quarter back for all that it is a book that doesn’t really explore or do anything with undead Japanese woman, Bengali bride who both feel like anticlimactic props for the protagonist who screams not like other girls to punish the groom and white guy for dumping her when again she explicitly states they saved her life. It’s just odd how aware of race the book wants to be when it does not care about the brutalized women of color in the book beyond the development of the protagonist who does not gain any self awareness and scream not like other girls the entire time. Even her bisexuality screams shoe horned it and as a feminist felt squeezed in to pretend the protagonist isn’t as centered around male attention and desirability as she clearly is.
The book had such a cool premise and good writing at parts like when the ghost “laughed as if someone had told her the joke that killed god”. But the plot is so badly written and frankly the lack of themes that If exist incredibly sexist is what kills the book and predictability of a not like other girls protagonist always being right even when she’s a grown woman bullying another woman at her own wedding
Also all the Meta commentary/break the forth wall is incredibly bad and is showing not telling and trying to force the horrible plot along hamfisted (which is a shame bc when the story is trying the protagonist like the sun the solar systems revolves around the writing is fairly good) especially when the only other character who really does this is a fifth character who isn’t funny but self declares himself the comic relief that’ll die first or second when he’s not funny he’s just very cruel and hypocritical and his presence at a wedding of people he can’t name doesn’t even make sense if he only cares about a woman who barely got invited as well and it’s never addressed how he he clearly has a pattern of sexism if he was horrible to talia the entire time especially when she was in danger, abandoned cat when she was suffering, and his wife is only brought up by other people-yet isn’t brought up when he tells another man to abandon his wife?
It feels like the book reward narcissist cruel behavior because it presents the protagonist as always right even when she’s clearly in the wrong and as if it’s too much for her supposed best friend who stopped her from suicide to ask her to be literally just a decent person at his wedding she invited herself to? And again bending over backwards to have the non Japanese character know more then the Japanese man while also kinda over randomly bringing up the white man’s race to say he’s so privileged when Asian characters saying it are established as rich, are more dehumanizing of the woman of color they’re not friends with (and there’s a contrived love triangle) and again the two men who both happened to reject the protagonist are punished by the book and presented as deeply flawed when they’re dramatically kinder and more compassionate then the protagonist or her friend and literally explicitly established as saving her life which makes the book lack any real moral compass or coherent theme. Like the man who possibly lost his wife to a brutal death gets no sympathy for breaking down over it but the book has the protagonist say she’s not weak because she didn’t cry over another person dying which screams thinking real men don’t cry is somehow feminist if women (or men) don’t express basic decency and compassion??
The novella also brings up race weirdly to have the Chinese character say why would he know Chinese when the half Japanese man doesn’t when his again so close friend that’s studied Malaysian studied Japanese art and is kinda racist in multiple ways an assumption? Or even saying the queer character dies first in horror when that’s not even typically true versus the black character but there are no black people and it reads hypocritical and whiny for the characters to want to enjoy a characters money (especially when they are also clearly upper middle class) but also use it? Especially for a book that tries to confront Eurocentrismo for how it punished the white man it made into a caricature of American white privileged with class and blond hair and even a quarter back for all that it is a book that doesn’t really explore or do anything with undead Japanese woman, Bengali bride who both feel like anticlimactic props for the protagonist who screams not like other girls to punish the groom and white guy for dumping her when again she explicitly states they saved her life. It’s just odd how aware of race the book wants to be when it does not care about the brutalized women of color in the book beyond the development of the protagonist who does not gain any self awareness and scream not like other girls the entire time. Even her bisexuality screams shoe horned it and as a feminist felt squeezed in to pretend the protagonist isn’t as centered around male attention and desirability as she clearly is.
The book had such a cool premise and good writing at parts like when the ghost “laughed as if someone had told her the joke that killed god”. But the plot is so badly written and frankly the lack of themes that If exist incredibly sexist is what kills the book and predictability of a not like other girls protagonist always being right even when she’s a grown woman bullying another woman at her own wedding
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, and Classism
aparker89's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.5
If you are looking for a quick, terrifying read- look no further. You can smell the rot of this haunted tale and the adventure you take, although predictable, is not a disappointment. You can't help but feast upon the evil, the ghosts and the terror.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Grief, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Classism
peachmoni's review against another edition
dark
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Self harm, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
jjjreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
nialiversuch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content