sagefikse's review against another edition
3.0
hm. this is a hard one to rate. beautiful writing, hard hitting prose crafted with so much care, perfect characterization, but the book just didn’t do much for me. i didn’t feel much of anything for the story or its characters
i still would recommend it, but it wasn’t as captivating and connecting as i hoped
the ending though, that was crazy
i still would recommend it, but it wasn’t as captivating and connecting as i hoped
the ending though, that was crazy
elkboy23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Addiction, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Self harm, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Mental illness
cassiopeia_rex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
evanscat's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
sarahsnacks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
sorry_imbooked's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pudgycat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
lornarose's review against another edition
4.0
Without the ending this would be a 3 or 3.5-star for me. It's always a hard sell writing a book that spans a character's entire life, especially such a short book. These types of books are often told in sections that represent different periods of the character's life, just as this book does. The problem is that it's hard to maintain a closeness to your character when you make such big jumps in time. I think that what this book does really well is to emphasize a few of the main character's pivotal moments in life, and examine how those moments impact her throughout her growth into adulthood. However, I became slightly less invested in her story as she became older (mostly just in the last third of the book), and I wish that we had continued to see her bare emotions the way we do when she's a child/adolescent. I also wish the creature played a bigger role in her life in some way. I can understand why it didn't, but I spent a lot of the book wondering about the creature, and I wish she'd wondered about it more as she got older, too. Without spoiling the ending, I will just say that the last few chapters added a depth to this book that I did not anticipate. It beautifully highlighted some of the important questions this book had been asking all along about ownership, fear, violence, and otherness, in such a unique and wholly bizarre way.
i_hype_romance's review against another edition
4.0
A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This book had everything. Creepy vibes. Social commentary. A fierce heroine with a unique voice. An ending that I could never have predicted.
When we meet our narrator, she is six years old and knows that what she saw in the mist is a monster. She spends most of her childhood plotting to see it again, and hones her sharpshooter skills in the hope of capturing it. Her friend Pip is the only one who believes her outlandish story, and it bonds them through their hardscrabble lives. They grow up in a world in the midst of change.
The mysterious forest and foreboding mountains that have defined Ruthie's childhood are being devoured by the modern world. Those that have lived in the Bitterroot their entire lives eke out an existence. But the rich have discovered the oasis, and are building sprawling mansions in the foothills that are incongruous with the rugged landscape. The wild places begin to disappear. Ruthie's father Rutherford has spent his life stalking prey across the unforgiving terrain, and is embittered and outraged by the changes.
People flock to the valley looking for serenity and escape, but they are corrupting the very things that make it special.
This book had everything. Creepy vibes. Social commentary. A fierce heroine with a unique voice. An ending that I could never have predicted.
When we meet our narrator, she is six years old and knows that what she saw in the mist is a monster. She spends most of her childhood plotting to see it again, and hones her sharpshooter skills in the hope of capturing it. Her friend Pip is the only one who believes her outlandish story, and it bonds them through their hardscrabble lives. They grow up in a world in the midst of change.
The mysterious forest and foreboding mountains that have defined Ruthie's childhood are being devoured by the modern world. Those that have lived in the Bitterroot their entire lives eke out an existence. But the rich have discovered the oasis, and are building sprawling mansions in the foothills that are incongruous with the rugged landscape. The wild places begin to disappear. Ruthie's father Rutherford has spent his life stalking prey across the unforgiving terrain, and is embittered and outraged by the changes.
People flock to the valley looking for serenity and escape, but they are corrupting the very things that make it special.