minimicropup's reviews
479 reviews

Pyramidia by Stephanie Sanders-Jacob

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this. It’s a bizarre and darkly comedic story about an introverted teacher facing off against an invasive MLM neighbor. The ending left questions unanswered, but I was okay with the levels of that. It reminded me a little of Bloom by Delilah S Dawson (similar vibes, diff plots). 
 
Energy: Strange. Charming. Farcical.
 
🐩 Tail Wags: So easy to imagine. The quirky characters and their interactions. Relatable main character (Harriet). Unhinged bizarro vibes and randomness. The humour. The MLM and stalky character conundrums. 
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 🛳️ Set in Bentwood, Ohio, USA and on cruise ship departing from Miami.
Perspective: An introverted elementary gifted schoolteacher starting a new job in a new town. A pushy salesperson worms their way in to their life and things start to get weird from there. 
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s). Linear
🔥 Fuel: The strangeness of so many of the characters in the town and the town itself. The MLM situation. What is their angle? Why is Harriet feeling drawn to them? 
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief surrealism
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Tea pouring. Musty cabin. Ice cubes clinking. Aggressive door knocking. Fresh sharpened pencils. Cruise ship horn. Helicopter blades. Farmer’s market. Garlic bulbs. 
  • Grown up Goosebumps bizarro
  • Monsters, MLMs, and sapphic romance
  • Dark comedy meets supernatural cozy horror
  • Quirky cast of characters
  • Satirical strangeness and surreal randomness 
 
Content Heads-Up: Depressive episodes. Death (overdose). Forced institutionalization (psychiatric). Psychosis, paranoid symptoms. Body horror, gore, body fluids. Murder. Loss of parent (as child; brief).
 
Rep: American. Cis. Lesbian. Hetero. Pale and ambiguous skin tones.  
 
📚 Format: Library Digital
 
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It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I liked most of this, even when I was angry at certain characters. It was engaging, thought-provoking, weird, and atmospheric. But the end felt incomplete or tacked on. 
 
Energy: Hostile. Evasive. Cautious.
 
🐕 Howls Sudden switch from slow-burn weird horror to popcorn thriller (convenient rush of villains, chaotic bursts of violence). The story introduced a lot of mysterious sub-plots and angles, then lost or cut them off abruptly at the end (I have so many unanswered questions). Reiterating the commentary on misogyny and narcissism instead of progressing the story.
 
🐩 Tail Wags The art installation descriptions and insights into the art-making process. The slow, steady pace allowed for gradual character development.Showing how women have historically been labeled irrational, spoiled, or mentally unstable for expressing simple boundaries. How it didn’t shy away from exposing how some women are complicit in perpetuating those injustices. Balanced view of abuse and sociopathy transcending gender. Unsettling ending. The justice moments (the plot made me mad, but not in a frustrating way).   
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Tranquil Falls Artists’ Retreat in Georgia, USA.
Perspective: A potter who hasn’t made art in the last five years while in a toxic relationship finally gets out and is accepted to an artist’s retreat. While there strange things start happening, including dreams where they are a guest at the abandoned resort on site. 
Timeline: Current (2020s). 🍂 Beginning of fall.
🔥 Fuel: Cliffhangers. Group dynamics. Atmosphere. Why are the artists suddenly acting strangely? What really happened between the retreat leaders and an especially misogynist artist? What’s with the second floor of the cabin our MC is staying in? Why was the resort hotel suddenly abandoned? 
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief with a touch of paranormal 
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Oak must. Yeast cinnamon and apple. Distant roar of a waterfall. Lavender potpourri. Stained glass windchimes. Mildew. Rot. Cold stone. Antiseptic. 
  • Glimpse of 1800s pseudoscience health resort
  • Books to read in the forest, fall vibes
  • Escaping a toxic relationship, starting anew romantic energy
  • Cast of eccentric artists
  • Exploring secret areas off-limits
  • How did they die? Mysteries
  • Visions, nightmares, out of body experiences
  • Third person whispering context to us as we watch scenes unfold, getting to know everyone alongside the main character
  • Chaos and strangeness
  • Irony and ghostly revenge
 
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol abuse, alcoholic parent. Narcissistic parent, no contact. Animal death (brief on page; possum, snake, rabbits). Vomit. Corpse/skeleton (discovery of). Toxic, narcissistic colleagues. Bullying (vandalism, theft, threats). Confinement (implied, evidence of and on page). Misogyny. Ageism (towards younger gen). Sexual assault, rape (within relationship; descriptive recall on page). Medical (injuries, heart attack, bleeding). Drugging. Forced institutionalization (medical asylum). Personality disorders, psychopathy. 
 
Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Dark brown, pale, and ambiguous skin tones.
 
📚 Format: Library Hardcover
 
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Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was an interesting exploration of violence against females and defining predators. It was sometimes a challenging read (like, literally. As in re-reading lines to get what was meant), but overall, I’m glad I read it. 
 
Energy: Disheartening. Distant. Disturbed. 
 
🐕 Howls The writing was sometimes hard to follow in a ‘these are words, but I still don’t get what is going on’ way. I found myself mixing up the different character names (Ruth, Rose, and Annie) especially when they’re also referred to by aliases. Ending was muddled. Too many uncertainties left unresolved. Twist at the end was just confusing. Story felt rushed once our main character got back to New York.  
 
🐩 Tail Wags Deep dive into the main character’s mind. The feeling of eavesdropping, slowly piecing together what’s happening. Fascinating potentially unreliable main character. Believable portrayal of armchair detectives. Not idealizing all women as good. Suspenseful writing style. Literary fiction style feels. 
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Manhattan NY with little journeys to 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 🇳🇴 Norway. 
Perspective: Our main character was deeply affected by the kidnapping and murder of a seven-year old when they were seven. They are living in a family apartment  recovering from an incident that led to their removal from college studying criminal psychology, when an Amber Alert appears. 
We also get brief flashbacks from our main character at seven years old, and the brief perspective of a teen connected to someone adjacent to the murders. 
Timeline: Late 2010s. 1996 (briefly). 🍃 Spring (June)  
🔥 Fuel: Who is the child confined to a small room? What happened to Ruth that has everyone so worried about her mental health? Can she really see and hear what she does? Is there a connection to a convicted murderer when another girl goes missing from her hometown?
📖 Cred: Realism with a touch of paranormal
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
AMBER alert. Calm, spring air. Bourbon. Pebble beach. Hotel room. Airport. Paperback. Emails.  
  • Ghostly sidekicks and feminist commentary
  • Fully unhinged or highly aware?
  • Armchair detective skills
  • Through the eyes of a child excerpts
  • Solved child murder…apparently
  • Complex, imperfect victims
  • Around the world amateur investigating
  • Hesitant, should-they-or-shouldn’t-they romance
  • Shifting our understanding of events reveals
  • Mixed up, morally grey, and Machiavellian characters
  • Fade to black sub-plots and endings 
 
Content Heads-Up: Confinement (on page). Abduction (child; on page perspective). Loss of child (murder). Alcohol use (intoxication). Controlling, toxic relationship (off page recalls). Serial murders. Pedophilia (grooming; inappropriate touching & comments;
teacher-student
). Hallucinations. Medical emergency (dog). Domestic abuse (brief, off page). Homophobia (marriage equality, brief discussion). Sexual harassment (of minor; off page). Sexual assault (on page). 
 
Rep: American. New Zealander/Kiwi. Cis. Hetero. Gay. Sun-kissed, dark, and ambiguous skin tones. Apophenia (tending to see patterns/connections between unrelated things).
 
📚 Format: Library Digital
 
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Busybodies: There's A Mystery Around Every Corner by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Emma Rosenblum, Alicia Thompson, Nita Prose, Elle Cosimano, Kellye Garrett

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This is a cozy mystery collection with quick, convenient resolutions that didn’t give enough depth or suspense for me. The last two leaned more into romance and were a bit more enjoyable. But the writing isn’t bad so if you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, you might enjoy this collection more than I did.
 
🐕 Howls Interesting concept but most stories felt rushed and hollow. Endings felt too convenient or incomplete. Some stories seemed to end randomly/mid-story. Other felt almost pointless or unsatisfying. 
 
Staged 2
Real estate staging should be for showcasing life, not death.
 
Vacuum tracks in carpet. Mallet. Azalea bushes. BMW. Pink carpet. 
  • Real estate gone wrong
  • Hot landscaper
  • Amateur sleuth sisters
  • Quippy dark comedy
  • Hints of enemies to lovers romance
 
The Reunion Dinner 2.5
A sixty-something main character plans to upstage their sibling’s family holiday dinner when given the chance. 
 
Chinese New Year. Roast pig. Cocktails. Yu sheng. 
  • Cozy holiday
  • Dinner party gone wrong
  • Family celebration and reunions
  • Mother Knows Best
  • Unhinged sabotage
 
Crime of Fashion 2
A missing necklace at a photo shoot. A responsible assistant in the hot seat. 
 
Black dress. Wavy hair. Gems. Handbags. Yellow diamond. 
  • Photoshoot drama
  • Gumshoe sleuthing 
  • Find the thief
  • Job at risk
 
The Nosy Neighbour 3
Snooping while house-sitting for a neighbour.  
 
Hobbies. Bungalow. Picture window. Hydrangeas. 
  • Older adult sleuthing
  • House-sitting for a neighbour
  • Unreliable, unhinged characters
  • Flip the script twists
 
One Lucky Subscriber 4
Hide and seek in a mall for a YouTuber’s competition. 
 
Shopping mall. Numbered contestants. Tesla. Rose wall. Livestream. Stuffed animal.  
  • Content creation hide and seek
  • Attempt to sabotage the game or clumsy host? 
  • Cheating to win attempts
  • Everyone’s a suspect attempted murder mystery
 
A Classic Case 5
A video rental customer worries when a usual customer doesn’t show up at his regular time. 
 
Movie rental. Black-and-white movies. Peanut butter. Flannel.
  • Missing acquaintance
  • Clue hunting with a crush 
  • Quirky main character
  • Meet-cute movie style romance

Content Heads-Up: Blood. Death. Dead body (discovery of). Drugging. Poisoning. Murder. Jealousy. Theft. Potential false accusation. Dementia (implied). Loss of spouse. Parental ambivalence (gave up custody to family). 
 
Rep: American. Chinese. English. Cis. Hetero. Pansexual. Dark, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. Obsessive compulsive disorder. Stutter. 
 
📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley
 
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Memorials by Richard Chizmar

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Slow-burn, atmospheric, well-paced tension, subtle scares…if only the ending didn’t feel so cheesy to me. I liked it up until then though.
 
Energy: Adaptable. Convivial. Malicious. 
 
🐕 Howls Ending was bit of a letdown with cheesy explanation and I missed the previous creepy energy. I don’t love religious horror and good-vs-evil tropes but that’s just me. 
 
🐩 Tail Wags Eerie slow-building thriller vibes. Creeping sense of dread. Nightmares added to the story and didn’t feel drawn out. Deliberate pacing. Immersive, cinematic feelings. Gradual character development. Getting invested in the characters’ fates. (Mostly) grounded plot with attention to detail. Integration of grief themes. Each town and setting had distinct energy. Red flags piling up. 
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in various Appalachian (Pennsylvania) towns.
Perspectives: Our main character as they head out with their college communications groupmates to document roadside memorials.  
Snippets of video showing when freezes or rewinds/fast forwards like we are watching it. 
Excerpts from books on local legends and Satanism
Timeline: 1983-1984. 🍃☀️ May (but summery).
🔥 Fuel: Why are there women missing from all these towns? What are the symbols etched on all the memorials? Who or what seems to be stalking them? Can they trust the police? Their family? 
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Volvo van. Road trip. Vapour trail. Tent. Heat wave. Watermelon. Coors. Campfire. Photocopier paper. Library. Gas stations. Distant thunder. Fast food wrappers. 
  • Atmospheric, cinematic world building
  • Heading into the heart of small town Americana
  • Tagging along with documentary makers
  • Satanic cultiness, dark rituals suspected
  • Nightmares and premonitions
  • Leave or Else threat
  • Witchy curses, Appalachian folklore, legends, creeps
  • Library research quest
  • Increasing paranoia psychological suspense
  • Conspiracies and who-to-trust moments
  • First person filling us in, sometimes speaking directly to us
 
Content Heads-Up: Loss of parents (as child; as teen). Loss of sibling (as child). Loss of child. Gun violence (brief recall; drive-by, fatal). Nicotine (cigarettes, chewing tobacco). Driving while intoxicated (brief recalls). Weather event (severe storm, tornado; damage; brief). Abusive, controlling relationship (very brief recall). Animal cruelty, death (very brief recall; rumoured; cats, dogs, cows). Racism (microaggressions, prejudice, hatred, White privilege). Blood. Sexual content (descriptive, brief; on page imaginings). Bullying (childhood; physical assault). Satanism (rituals, beliefs). Murder (on page; blood, injury, violence). Fire (on page; fatal burns). Car crashes (recall; fatal). 
 
Rep: American. Third generation Puerto Rican. Cis. Dark, olive, freckled, and ambiguous skin tones.
 
📚 Format: Library Digital 
 
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I Know She Was There by Jennifer Sadera

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad fast-paced

4.5

I love unhinged, unreliable narrators and obsession-driven thrillers, so I really enjoyed this. It starts off almost relatable—who hasn’t glanced into an open window at night? (😇)—and spirals from there. I admit it might not be for everyone, but if you like a complex portrayal of a mind in turmoil it could be a hit for you too.   
 
Energy: Effusive. Evasive. Impassioned. 
 
🐕 Howls The ending veers into a high-stakes, popcorn thriller style I didn’t love. The dark comedy moments and action went on a bit too long for my taste at the end, but if you like that style, it’s well done and keeps the tension high. The neighbourhood characters are referred to by both their nicknames (assigned by the MC earlier) and their real names (which we learn later) - by the end I had trouble keeping track.  
 
🐩 Tail Wags A main character that is fascinatingly off-kilter, yet totally unaware of that fact. Mysterious vibes. Being deep in the character’s head while also picking up on other people’s reactions and that something is ‘off’ about her interpretation of events. Despite predicting one big plot twist early on, I still wanted to see how everything would play out. Heavy on the inner monologue but didn’t feel repetitive or corny. 
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in a New York suburb with a mix of high- and lower-end homes.
Perspective: Our main character is dealing with the loss of friendships after the breakdown of their marriage. They spy on their old friends using walks with their baby as an excuse if they get caught.
Timeline: Current (2010s or 2020s).☀️ August and September. 
🔥 Fuel: Unreliable narrator. Is our MC seeing reality clearly, or has she lost all sense of it? Mysteries, hints, and puzzling reactions. Is someone in danger or is she misinterpreting events? Who to trust. Did our main character do something terrible? Are the people in her life there to help or harm? 
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief plausible-ish
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Baby carriage. Suburban night walks. Humidity. Sour sweat. Pond fountain. Streetlights. Un-curtained windows. Orange nail. 
  • Unreliable/unhinged character
  • Suburban tea and secrets behind closed doors
  • Was there a crime? Mystery
  • Domestic suspense
  • Losing track of time
  • Dark comedy-ish popcorn mystery moments
  • Psychological suburban suspense
  • First person deep in their minds, watching and hearing the main character’s version of things
 
Content Heads-Up:
Stalking, voyeurism, obsession. Mental illness, psychosis, memory loss. Mentally ill parent (bipolar). Loss of parent (as child). Divorce, break up (one sided). Loss of a child. Postpartum depression. Toxic relationship (marriage). Drug use (prescription but misused; anti-anxiety, miscellaneous psychiatric medications). Infidelity. Nicotine (cigarettes). Alcohol (addiction; self-medicating). Car crash (brief mention off page). Dismissive authorities (police). Loss of spouse (very brief recall). Murder. Drowning. Forced institutionalization (attempt). Drugging (of child). Ableism (prejudice and persecution of mentally ill). Narcissism, gaslighting. False accusation. Body fluids. Kidnapping, confinement. Physical attack. Financial crime (embezzlement). Suicide (very brief recall; off page).
 
Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Tawny, dark, dusky, pale, and ambiguous skin tones. 
 
📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from CamCat Books and BookSirens. 
 
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The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Devouring Tomorrow: Fiction from the Future of Food by A.G. Pasquella, J.J. Dupuis

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sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Overall, this was an okay read, but nothing really stood out for me. If you enjoy dystopian stories with recurring themes around food scarcity and survival, give it a try. For me, it was hit or miss—some stories caught my interest, but most fell flat or felt like “telling” rather than “showing.”
 
Energy: Bleak. Acerbic. Lamenting. 
 
🐺 Growls Some of the stories felt underdeveloped or overly focused on commentary - the focus is post-apocalyptic “worst-case” scenarios, but the constant emphasis on what’s “lost” felt repetitive, and it made the overall collection feel like it was hitting me over the head with the theme instead of just letting the plots unfold and speak for themselves. 
 
🐕 Howls The majority either were too simplistic or too complex to fit in such a short length. Each story has different societal rules, technologies, and settings, but they’re often introduced with minimal explanation, making them confusing and difficult to follow. Some of these worlds felt so big that they needed more room to breathe—perhaps better suited to novellas or longer stories?
 
🐩 Tail Wags: Some stories were thought-provoking. 
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Restaurant reviews. Protein synthesizer. Centrifuge. Smart glasses. Gum. Memories. Death. Hunger. 
  • Touch of bleak future randomness 
  • Witty, dark comedy moments
  • Eco sci fi disaster energy
  • Post apocalyptic and dystopian stories
  • Using little details to infer what the situations are 
 
Content Heads-Up: War (nuclear, mass death). Food insecurity. Financial insecurity. Natural disasters. Pregnancy. Dog abandonment. Death. Loss of loved ones. Climate/environmental collapse. Gun violence. 
 
Rep: Canadian. 
 
📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Dundurn Press | Rare Machines and NetGalley
 
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Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I liked the overall premise of this, but I wish I knew much less going in. I found myself zoning out regularly. The synopsis gives away too much! Other than that, I liked how I kept wondering what I would do in the same situation (until the reveal of what Viv did, yikes), and there were some super dark moments.  
 
Energy: Heavy. Troubled. Valiant. 
 
🐺 Growls The synopsis spoils the story. 
 
🐕 Howls The main characters know what is going on and for the most part how to stop it, so it’s just watching that all play out and could feel one-dimensional sometimes. I was hoping for more mystery trying to figure out what is going on and why; maybe it’s a me-thing, but then all the spooks would hit harder, and I’d be wondering if the events are real or just in our MC’s grief-stricken mind. 
 
🐩 Tail Wags First person present tense without feeling overdramatic. Well-executed gaming and pop-culture references. Modern twist on a possession story. Finding out what the MC did was fully unhinged and the parents’ reaction…wtf
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Small-town Iowa with a bit of Chicago, Illinois, USA
Perspective: A high school student and Twitch horror game streamer whose younger sibling passed away a few months ago. 
Timeline: Current (2020s). 
🔥 Fuel: Withholding. Moral quandaries. What happened to Viv’s sister this past summer? Emotional stakes, quests and journeys. A clear goal. Will she be able to stop the doppelganger? 
📖 Cred: Supernatural realism
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Twitch. Indie horror game. Rooftop view. Watching from the darkness. Last minute road trip. 
  • Navigating grief, guilt, and shame
  • Evil Doppelgänger 
  • Streamer struggles
  • Ick to friends
  • YA grief horror
  • Keeping huge secrets
  • Disbelieving parents
  • Friends to lovers
  • Slow burn demon possession horrors
  • Sprinkling of modern dark fantasy quests
  • First person present tense walking in the character’s shoes, like she’s sharing an aside and introspections. 
 
Content Heads-Up: Loss of sibling (as teen). Loss of child. Bullying (high school; rumours, rejection). False accusation (school threats; sexting; sexual abuse; murder). Accidental death. Racism (microaggression, biases). 
 
Rep: Mixed race (half-Japanese). Cis. Hetero. Porcelain and ambiguous skin tones.
 
📚 Format: Spotify 
 
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The Queen by Nick Cutter

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
Soft dnf. Wrong format for me (maybe). 

I just cant get into this on audio. Maybe text will work better. Narration is fine, it’s just that right from the start I’ve been so clueless as to what is going on with the bug horror and it’s super descriptive which usually I love for my mind’s eye. But I have no investment or context for it. It’s like if someone just started describing a bug-human hybrid to you in grotesque detail.