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A review by wickeddelights
Scarred by Emily McIntire
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I read this with my book club, and I am fairly certain I got a contact high from the sheer amount of weed that was smoked in this book. Like I am convinced that if I walked blindfolded into a bookstore, that I could find this book on smell alone.
I could not for the life of me connect with our MMC, Tristan. For 99% of the book he was worse than the actual "villian" of the story, Michael. He delights in torture, he threatens to have a woman 'graped' by everyone of his followers (Not once, but twice!), tortures his best friend, the list goes on. The man can't keep his hands off of his joints (coincidentally enough, both of his joints are stored in his trousers) he was either lighting up, or getting hard while Sara our FMC was constantly thinking about stuff oozing from her pores, or describing how her emotions directly effected her stomach or throat.
Every time I thought that Tristan was getting more bearable as an FMC, or being less of a creep like he would do or say something just weird or awful WITHIN two pages, every time.
The setting itself felt confusing and inconsistent at times. The year it takes place is listed at the beginning of the book, but it just doesn't translate into how things are described. There is an old timey castle still lit by candles and sconces, and yet there is also automobiles and guns. The old world setting also translates into a phrase in the book as well when someone is described as being like a red-headed step child, but REALLY that is just mild when compared to the "C*m seeping out of her pores" line.
It just wasn't for me.
I could not for the life of me connect with our MMC, Tristan. For 99% of the book he was worse than the actual "villian" of the story, Michael. He delights in torture, he threatens to have a woman 'graped' by everyone of his followers (Not once, but twice!), tortures his best friend, the list goes on. The man can't keep his hands off of his joints (coincidentally enough, both of his joints are stored in his trousers) he was either lighting up, or getting hard while Sara our FMC was constantly thinking about stuff oozing from her pores, or describing how her emotions directly effected her stomach or throat.
Every time I thought that Tristan was getting more bearable as an FMC, or being less of a creep like he would do or say something just weird or awful WITHIN two pages, every time.
The setting itself felt confusing and inconsistent at times. The year it takes place is listed at the beginning of the book, but it just doesn't translate into how things are described. There is an old timey castle still lit by candles and sconces, and yet there is also automobiles and guns. The old world setting also translates into a phrase in the book as well when someone is described as being like a red-headed step child, but REALLY that is just mild when compared to the "C*m seeping out of her pores" line.
It just wasn't for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism