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A review by irisestacansado
Marked by Kristin Cast, P.C. Cast
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
It's an interesting premise but there's so much slut shaming and tasteless comments I could only imagine how much it could've harmed me if I read it when I was younger.
For a young adult novel there is a lot of mentions of sex and how it's terrible to be slutty or how only girls with "functional brains" know better than to be used by boys by giving oral. While this is a common message, it's also hypocritical. Zoey is upset with girls who do some stereotypical flirting but does the same, she tells her ex that they're not dating but gets upset when her old best friend flirts with him bc that's cheating, etc.
This is also a book filled with stereotypes that made me somewhat uncomfortable, from the seemingly innocent "the pretty blondes are mean girls" to the gay best friend mentioning how hot the love interest is every other line to the whole "all religious people are culty and bad".
Aside from that, Zoey is just unlikeable to someone who isn't 12-14. She's a Mary Sue but still finds the time for her personal narrative to be rude, from tasteless comments about the "freaks" with anorexia to her judgements on near everyone different to her.
However, if you're into something mindless you can can find horrifyingly gauche you can stop reading just as much as you can look away from a car wreck, this is for you. Just as long as you can ignore the horrible word choices and the way that the vampires -- sorry, vampyres -- are some lovechild of a twilight vampire and a witch. Pretty much, read it because of the morbid curiosity if you must and buy it secondhand, just like I will do for the rest of the series because I simply have to know how bad it gets.
For a young adult novel there is a lot of mentions of sex and how it's terrible to be slutty or how only girls with "functional brains" know better than to be used by boys by giving oral. While this is a common message, it's also hypocritical. Zoey is upset with girls who do some stereotypical flirting but does the same, she tells her ex that they're not dating but gets upset when her old best friend flirts with him bc that's cheating, etc.
This is also a book filled with stereotypes that made me somewhat uncomfortable, from the seemingly innocent "the pretty blondes are mean girls" to the gay best friend mentioning how hot the love interest is every other line to the whole "all religious people are culty and bad".
Aside from that, Zoey is just unlikeable to someone who isn't 12-14. She's a Mary Sue but still finds the time for her personal narrative to be rude, from tasteless comments about the "freaks" with anorexia to her judgements on near everyone different to her.
However, if you're into something mindless you can can find horrifyingly gauche you can stop reading just as much as you can look away from a car wreck, this is for you. Just as long as you can ignore the horrible word choices and the way that the vampires -- sorry, vampyres -- are some lovechild of a twilight vampire and a witch. Pretty much, read it because of the morbid curiosity if you must and buy it secondhand, just like I will do for the rest of the series because I simply have to know how bad it gets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Eating disorder and Homophobia