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A review by inamerata
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book asks bold questions, like "is it worse if your PTSD turns you into a nazi or a rapist?" and "would that be fucked up or what?"
It reads quickly. It has an interesting premise and some technically competent foreshadowing. Even a few clever paragraphs. But that's the limit of my praise. The framing device makes increasingly little sense, the random details felt meaningless too often, the twists undermined the story, and the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying.
Presumably, Bervoets is trying to comment how all the characters' morals eroded in different ways, but the execution is stupid."Oh, Sigrid is an antisemitic conspiracy theorist and fascist/apologist but she was right that Kayleigh is abusive and obsessive. Kayleigh is the only one to unequivocally speak up against Holocaust denial, but she did assault Sigrid and broke into a dead teenager's house because she is also delusional. So there's points on both sides and we'll explicitly end showing Sigrid in the right and Kayleigh in the wrong." Come on.
It reads quickly. It has an interesting premise and some technically competent foreshadowing. Even a few clever paragraphs. But that's the limit of my praise. The framing device makes increasingly little sense, the random details felt meaningless too often, the twists undermined the story, and the ending is abrupt and unsatisfying.
Presumably, Bervoets is trying to comment how all the characters' morals eroded in different ways, but the execution is stupid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Antisemitism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Death of parent
By its nature, many awful things are brought up and even said by the main characters.
In addition, Kayleigh is a lesbian and revealed to be an abusive, obsessive, delusional stalker who sexually harassed and assaulted her girlfriend, and breaks into a dead teenager's room after their breakup because she's just so #crazy. Sigrid is a bisexual woman who is a bigoted, gullible idiot and it's hinted she cheated with her ex-boyfriend. They're not supposed to be good people, but the facts remain.