The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ktdakotareads's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Car accident, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Pedophilia
chasingpages1's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Murder, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, Racism, Stalking, War, Cursing, Gore, Body horror, Police brutality, Colonisation, Genocide, and Medical content
laura_keoski'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Grief, Gaslighting, Body horror, Blood, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Colonisation, Alcohol, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual content
Minor: Gaslighting, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
mfrisk's review
- 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
While there were some aspects I didn’t love such as Debby accepting Jake back into her life and the dismissiveness of his bad behavior I think at least leading up to that there is commentary around their relationship which shows how toxic it is. Otherwise loved where this story takes us and it’s discussion of tougher topics.Â
Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Death, Child death, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gun violence, and Car accident
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Ableism and Forced institutionalization
megwilli's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse and Alcohol
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
klemistry'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
Moderate: Child abuse, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Suicide attempt
carriepond's review
- 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
3.25
Although there were a lot of things I really liked about this book, in the end, it didn't quite come together for me. Pros: I loved how Wurth used Indigenous spirituality and culture to add depth to the typical ghost story. I also loved Wurth's description of Denver and all the places Kari went-- I felt like I was there and it made me want to visit Denver immediately. I also loved how the world Kari inhabits is imbued with native culture without Wurth overexplaining or hand-holding readers who might not be familiar-- it is what it is, and it feels authentic and complete as a result. I also love the way Wurth explores trauma, both individual and collective, and how those traumas ripple down and reverberate through generations. Cons: I found the plot to be pretty predictable and a little all over the place at times, and Wurth spent a lot of time on subplots that I found uninteresting and a little annoying (Debby and her husband, for example), which distracted me from the elements of the novel that were really interesting and compelling.
Although this didn't quite live up to my expectations, I would still recommend it to fans of horror that subverts norms and explores big ideas while still being spooky. There were a lot of great elements here, and I would check out a future novel from Wurth.
Graphic: Murder and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident
yuyuv's review
- 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: Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Addiction, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Car accident
theoceanrose's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Gaslighting, Car accident, and Murder
bandysbooks's review
- 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
Kari, the main character, has been sort of operating in the shadows, doing her best to never really stand out. She works as a bartender and spends evenings drinking at her favorite dive, The White Horse. Though she's talked about buying it, she's never actually applied for a loan. Outside of her handicapped father and her cousin, she doesn't have much of a social life and she mostly ignores the disappearance of her mother when she was a child. She is at once likeable and frustrating. You simultaneously want her to live up to her potential and also understand the fears and anxieties that are holding her back.
There is a sort of magical realism element to this story that involves Kari having visions upon handling some of her mother's old jewelry. I really liked how this was incorporated and thought it was a bit more unique than just the typical haunting. My only critique of this aspect is that I wish it was tied a bit more into the ending.Â
All in all, I really enjoyed this story. The creepy vibe increases at a nice pace and the who dunnit kept me engaged with the story. I also really enjoyed the focus on Indigenous culture and the overall development of the character.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, and Death of parent