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nightstitch96's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence
sky_maris's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Cons: Unlike Dead Silence, I felt as though this narrative didn't have a lot of force behind it. The stakes felt lower, despite being objectively higher - the foundations for the shock at the plot reveals and rooting for the characters were not as well laid here. I found Ophelia a frustrating protagonist - she is ineffectual at the best of times, which made her denouement feel almost out of character. The plot was more amorphous and I had a lot of questions left by the end of the novel, making some of the major scenes feel more like set dressing for shock value rather than major plot points. I also disliked the implied romance between Ophelia and Ethan - it follows a disappointly generic romance novel arc and yet has no real payoff. It seems like it was the only way the author could think of to get Ophelia to care about Ethan, even though their conversations were good setup for mutual respect and trust without lingering on the potential of "more" that we never see played out.
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Death of parent, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
tales_told_in_gold's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Cursing
puntifexmaximus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
lbelow's review
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder
anarmandameg's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Dementia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
unboxedjack's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
4.0
“That’s always the trouble, isn’t it? When you take on one thing outside of your control, suddenly everything is your fault. Nothing is ever enough.”
➽ S.A. Barnes is back with another Sci-Fi Horror! Ghost Station is about psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray who accompanies an exploration crew as they examine an abandoned planet. The problem is that the crew doesn't really want her there, as she's the mandated therapist because they recently lost a crewmate. I liked the tension, as Ophelia fights hard to establish herself as a confidante instead of an intruder. It was interesting having a psychologist as a main character, as Ophelia is aware of the mental state and dynamics in the crew, but still grapples with how to handle them. I loved that this story focused on mental health in space, as people are known to break down from different circumstances, such as the unnatural day-night cycle and the stress of the job. Ophelia is determined to counsel people before it gets to a breakdown, but she's also running from a scandal. Part of her wants to make up for it ... if the crew even lets her.
➽ I loved seeing Ophelia's inner struggles with her past mistakes and her overbearing, wealthy family who sees her as something to fix. Her new coworkers are suspicious of her without any of her secrets, so there is a lot of tension in the team. This is amplified by the stress of being on an isolated planet the previous crew abandoned in haste. It houses an extinct species of alien that used to live there, but it seems like it might be inhabited by something much worse. I loved the ominous atmosphere and sense of paranoia that crept into the story. The longer Ophelia and the others spend on the planet, the more intense the feeling gets.
➽ I still prefer Dead Silence, as Ghost Station was more of a slowburn. The story is rather slow-paced and while I liked the buildup, it definitely took its time to get me invested. I know not everyone will be a big fan of such a slow, introspective story. I also felt like the ending was very rushed compared to all the buildup. I still had questions, but the book just ended.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
eed8's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Classism