I enjoyed this, and absolutely looooved the art style, but fuck if it wasn't confusing.
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There was a lot of historical context being thrown arouI enjoyed this, and absolutely looooved the art style, but fuck if it wasn't confusing.
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There was a lot of historical context being thrown around that wasn't explained until later on, and though I was able to keep up and piece it together, I found myself quite confused at times. Still, I'm looking forward to reading Vol. 2!
Merged review:
I enjoyed this, and absolutely looooved the art style, but fuck if it wasn't confusing.
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There was a lot of historical context being thrown around that wasn't explained until later on, and though I was able to keep up and piece it together, I found myself quite confused at times. Still, I'm looking forward to reading Vol. 2!...more
promising start and i enjoyed the overarching theme of abuse, dependence and control. but wow, astonishingly flat characters with no personality beyonpromising start and i enjoyed the overarching theme of abuse, dependence and control. but wow, astonishingly flat characters with no personality beyond one (1) personality trait and one (1) hobby. the author’s insistence on glossing over anything that could be slightly interesting (such as lore or, uh, actual plot) to instead focus on overwritten sex scenes was frustrating, to put it mildly. if you want to write erotica, just write erotica, why are we pretending there’s more to the work when there isn’t?
and it is not sexy. call me insane but i do not find it sexy for a character to refer to a woman as her sister and then fuck her. it is not sexy for a character to constantly harp on about how young a boy is, insist that he feels like a son to her, and then fuck him. am i the only one who finds that odd? ...more
2.5. Started off well, but began to meander quickly. I usually have no problem with long books, but this dragged because of a long, drawn-out plot and2.5. Started off well, but began to meander quickly. I usually have no problem with long books, but this dragged because of a long, drawn-out plot and characters that were just not interesting enough to carry the story. Frankly, the villain and his backstory were the most intriguing aspects, and I got very little of that. ...more
this could have been so, so, so much better had the focus been on fewer characters and if it were a bit longer- this would have helped the lac3.25/5.
this could have been so, so, so much better had the focus been on fewer characters and if it were a bit longer- this would have helped the lackluster romance and fully fleshed out its themes and the characters’ introspections.
but my real gripe is that it felt… restrained. there were moments that were so tense and exciting where i would lean forward, anticipating something big to happen, but those moments fizzled out, and it so often felt like the authors refused to push themselves and the characters and the story in the way they should have. because while the book tries to convince the reader that it’s dark and villainous, it very rarely gets there. when it does, the result is delicious. unfortunately, very often, it remains half-hearted, contradictory and full of unfulfilled potential.
regardless, i will be reading the second. i grew very attached to a couple of characters, and the plot did keep my attention from start to finish....more
when i picked this book up, the last thing i expected was to (a) get this attached to all the characters, (b) have this much fun reading it, and (c) cwhen i picked this book up, the last thing i expected was to (a) get this attached to all the characters, (b) have this much fun reading it, and (c) cry.
a surprisingly high-stakes, action-packed zombie fest with deeply realized characters and smart, insightful commentary on fatphobia, self-esteem, diet culture (and horror movie clichés!) ...more
IF YOU ENJOY MILDLY UNSETTLING, ATMOSPHERIC BOOKS WITH A RATHER RUN-OF-THE-MILL YA ROMANCE, YOU’LL LIKE THIFull review on my blog: The Devils We Find.
IF YOU ENJOY MILDLY UNSETTLING, ATMOSPHERIC BOOKS WITH A RATHER RUN-OF-THE-MILL YA ROMANCE, YOU’LL LIKE THIS.
To sell me a book, you need only utter two terms: ‘dark academia’ and ‘horror.’ The Devil Makes Three does a decent job on the second front. From the get-go, it is atmospheric due to its setting and prose. The writing is very pretty, but not overbearingly so. The result is a novel that is surprisingly easy to breeze through, where even in the surreal, fantastical moments, you don’t find the need to reread parts to grasp what’s happening. The substance of these moments is quite unsettling, with vivid descriptions of body horror, of ink flowing from mouths and walls and books, of nightmares where the reader tries to grapple with reality just like the characters do.
The romance is a big component of this book. But when romance is this integral to your story, it needs to be believable. That was the main issue: it wasn’t believable to me that these two characters would fall for each other so completely within a couple of weeks. And it’s a shame because had the book taken place over a longer period of days, the romance would have been quite sweet. I enjoy the whole opposites-attract spiel. I enjoy when characters have their world-views challenged by falling in love with the antithesis of everything they thought they believed in. But that requires slow unraveling, not a headfirst dive.
EVEN SO, WHILE THE ROMANCE DIDN’T QUITE WORK, THE FAMILY DYNAMICS AND CHARACTERIZATION WERE IMPECCABLE.
Both characters’ complicated relationships with their families are deeply rooted in their personalities and motivations, and it makes complete sense why they behave the way they do. Both characters’ fear of failure, their fear of not amounting to anything was woven throughout the book, informing their choices. Even when I thought, “Hey, I wouldn’t make this decision,” I also thought, “but I understand why they would.”
But particularly fascinating is how the Devil makes use of these fears and aspirations, especially with Tess. The questions Bovalino evokes are fascinating: do you know what your weakness is? Do you know what your desires are? How far would you be willing to go, what would you be willing to do, if it meant you could have everything you’ve ever wanted? It’s times like these, when authors use fantasy to burrow into their readers’ psyches, making them think about what’s being said that I’m reminded of the power of storytelling.
BUT… IT’S NOT DARK ACADEMIA.
And perhaps it sounds like gatekeeping… but a creepy book set on school grounds does not make a book ‘dark academia.’ Dark academia is not dark academia unless it explores the corruption and the evil that elitist academia can breed in people. An exploration of how it keeps out those who are historically marginalized, whether it’s people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ folks, or those from lower-income backgrounds. The ‘darkness’ must be intertwined inextricably with academia. Here, that’s not the case. It’s a library on school grounds containing a book that unleashes the Devil. And while the author touches on elitist institutions, it’s more for character development than it is a driving force in the book. So, if you’re going into this book expecting a creepy book set on school grounds, you’re in the right place. If you’re going into this book expecting The Secret History, you’re not going to find it. Adjust accordingly.
Content warnings: Self-harm (not voluntarily inflicted); some graphic depictions of blood and violence; child abuse by a parent; domestic violence; sick parent....more
this was straight trash. plot? who is she! characters? couldn’t spot a well-developed, smart character if i was held at gunpoint! the smut? fine untilthis was straight trash. plot? who is she! characters? couldn’t spot a well-developed, smart character if i was held at gunpoint! the smut? fine until it got rapey!
to anyone who recommended me this: you owe me reparations. ...more
![呪術廻戦 4 [Jujutsu Kaisen 4]](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589220004l/44593935._SX50_.jpg)
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