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A review by leahrosereads
Extasia by Claire Legrand
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
The basics
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐
Start: ⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Ending: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Style: ⭐⭐⭐
What I liked
First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Thematically, this story is so smart. I really liked the conversations it was bringing about and the themes it explored. Well done. The horror was perfect for YA. Creepy, a bit gory, but still tame enough that I think folks who don't love horror will still enjoy it. Also I'm always down for a Sapphic story! Unfortunately, outside of that, not much worked for me.
I don't mind slower paced stories usually but the first 50% of this was a slog to get through. The second half got better for about 70 pages but then the end fell apart again for me.
I felt like a lot of this was disjointed, specifically the main character and how she changes. It felt really slow and then incredibly sudden.
This is definitely going to be a favorite for a lot of folks, and I'm very interested in seeing what Legrand writes next.
Enjoyment: ⭐⭐⭐
Start: ⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Ending: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Style: ⭐⭐⭐
What I liked
First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Thematically, this story is so smart. I really liked the conversations it was bringing about and the themes it explored. Well done. The horror was perfect for YA. Creepy, a bit gory, but still tame enough that I think folks who don't love horror will still enjoy it. Also I'm always down for a Sapphic story! Unfortunately, outside of that, not much worked for me.
I don't mind slower paced stories usually but the first 50% of this was a slog to get through. The second half got better for about 70 pages but then the end fell apart again for me.
I felt like a lot of this was disjointed, specifically the main character and how she changes. It felt really slow and then incredibly sudden.
This is definitely going to be a favorite for a lot of folks, and I'm very interested in seeing what Legrand writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence