knives's reviews
129 reviews

For my first time reading this book, it was rough. I watched a summary on the book because I could not comprehend some of the book's messages. I wish I had understood its deeper themes a lot more than I did the first time around, but I see this as an invitation for a reread.

Absolutely adored this book. It's raw, and it's beautiful.

Sullivan is such a talented writer. I'm in awe with the amount of quotable lines in this book, it's simply beautiful. I enjoyed the horror aspects here and there, Sullivan just keeps you on the edge of your seat. That being said, the plot feels a little lacking, especially near the end. I found myself wanting more, and not in a good way. I just wish we got to see more moments with Mamó and more of Caitlin's character. Intentional or not, I felt that Caitlin's romance with Lon made her feel 2-D. Still, this book is a solid read for those looking for something spooky this fall season (plus, it has LGBTQ+ representation, what more could you want?).

CW: mentions of suicide

I have a lot of feelings about this book. I think it's a brilliant concept, and while I absolutely adore this book, I wish there were more thought-provoking discussions about suicide. In some parts I feel like it dismisses a lot of feelings people have when they're suicidal. Like this quote straight from the book - "She realized that she hadn't tried to end her life because she was miserable, but because she had managed to convince herself that there was no way out of her misery" because yes, depression can bring on these types of thoughts, so what? I appreciate that Matt Haig is working towards destigmatizing mental health, but a book of Instagram quotes and vague lessons is not the way to approach the topic.

Despite this, I enjoyed the journey very much, it's the first book I've binge-read in FOREVER. Props to Haig.

I had high hopes for this book, but I don't really get the appeal. Maybe it's supposed to symbolize the power people have over each other, but I wish that symbolism was driven further home.

Not my favorite read for the fact that it felt like it was dragging on foreverrrrr! But hey, I finished it without a fuss, so maybe that's saying something.