hyphae'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Body horror, and Homophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Confinement
rhaydragon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Child death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Stalking, Sexism, Ableism, Animal death, and Outing
Minor: Domestic abuse
twiller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
Spoiler
I’m also not obsessed with the ending. There’s certainly a level of catharsis to it but I feel like “and then all the BIG MEANIE ASSHOLES got fucking YOINKED and DIED and WENT TO HELL” is a lil,,, simplistic to say the least. I felt like Smith n the pastor guy actually got some decent depth in the last few chapters, showing how they rly do think they are being compassionate, in their own twisted ways. Perhaps I was just expecting this book to be smth it isn’t, but I thought the ending would be much more humanist and love-focused (as Tingle’s work tends to be), maybe even showing the perpetrators some of the compassion they refused to show their victims. Not a terrible ending, but not rly what I specifically was looking forGraphic: Car accident, Violence, Blood, Body horror, and Child abuse
Moderate: Ableism
m_petranoff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism
dealingwithdragons'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
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Outing, Child death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Murder, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Medical content, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Blood, Child abuse, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Ableism and Abandonment
jaedia'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Ableism, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
katietregs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Spoiler
I was so excited for Rose to reunite with Willow and then we didn’t really get to see them spend any time together. And we didn’t see Saul reunite with his partner.Graphic: Vomit, Homophobia, Body horror, Murder, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Medical content, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
No graphic sexual contentjanewa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism and Cursing
salixlucida's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Gore
Moderate: Ableism
blacksphinx'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
4.0
This is the most hopeful, love-filled horror novel I have read yet. It's also extremely gruesome with some eye-watering descriptions of torture and gore. The fact that he can balance these things is impressive, and I think this is a shoo-in for next year's Stoker ballot. Our first-person narrator is a joy to be in the headspace of, with an extremely authentic and interesting voice. Publish more books with autistic protagonists!
However, the book isn't perfect. I think it's main flaw is its brutally short length. Characters make serious emotional and philosophical changes that gave me whiplash because they happened so quickly. I think the narrative needed some more room to breathe. I also wish we got more time with our antagonists
Spoiler
you literally only meet one of them in the same chapter they are brutally torn apart, and I felt almost nothing about them because they were just a cardboard cutout to be knocked down.Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Gun violence and Ableism