EBook https://we.tl/t-2wA6niEOee Audio https://we.tl/t-sMGNhbhSBu The ebook is enormous (110 MBs). Idk why. The comments said there were a lot of illustrations.
I read the first couple chapters during lunch. Part of the story involves a kid's drawings. They have images of the drawings. Quite a few so far. So that explains the file size.
WELP this should prompt some lively conversation about the book. Was reading down a little further into the reviews on Goodreads. This is a review blurb not a spoiler but putting it in spoilers anyway. Spoiler "What in the right-wing propaganda thriller bullshit is this? Racism, transphobia, fatphobia, and atheist hating all in one. And it won the goodreads choice awards?? Yikes, folks." With that said one of the reviewers I follow on Goodreads who is very progressive didn't comment on that at all so I'm interested to see what the fuss is about
#Book Club imma read it, I’ll have an open mind but the delicious coincidence (the unwashed masses would mistakenly call it irony but not you learned gentlemen) of a book club thread being hijacked by racism on my first month back is awesome.
I didnt read anything about the book, just started reading. Just perused the blurb on Goodreads. This is a horror book where 'nothing is as it seems'. Most horror is social commentary in some way. Again - not know much at all about the book or the author, I could see the critics the book is making going way over the head of that reviewer. We'll see.
Author's insta seems pretty normal, at least nothing alarming and a solidarity post about writer's strike.
Anyone know how I can get this behemoth onto a Kindle. Says file is too large (50mb limit) when I try to transfer it. I can open with Moon Reader but don't love reading on phones.
Im biting the bullet and just reading it on my iPad. It's not my favorite option, but at least it's a pretty short book.
Not very. They are a child's drawings. Basically stick figures and they're explained pretty well in the text. Unless this kid develops into a Picasso, you dont really need them so far.
Welp - the drawings are getting more elaborate lol. I think the images do add some, but still think you wont miss out too much doing audio Through Ch 5 Spoiler So far, so good. Seems like a pretty straight forward genre story. The nosy neighbor being racist made me laugh because she's definitely made out to look like an asshole. The idea of that GR reviewer completely missing the boat on this is going to make me laugh throughout the book Through Chapter 12 Spoiler Dont have too much to say. It's an easy read, seems pretty tropey right now, but not hating it. Im torn on if the parents know about the paranormal shit, or are just parents who refuse to accept their cute little son is creepy as AF. Also Adrian is a SW nerd - what a keeper. Better seal the deal Mallory!
Finished. Just ok. Not upset I read it. 6.5/10. Not a genre I normally read but glad I read something different. I will say - the criticism above isn’t fully without merit, depending on how you look at it. Spoiler As I said above, Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. Kind of had a feeling that parents we’re gonna be the bad guys. Because who else would it be?? As far as the criticism about it being a right wing thriller - a pessimist view is the author used the parents forcing a gender change with malicious intent. Also projecting Caroline as a vapid white female liberal who is book smart which makes her think she knows how to raise a kid better than a immigrant woman. Which also could be a critique from the left as well. If you want to give the author the benefit of the doubt - It seems like he tried to insert some current culture discussion into his book and did it extremely recklessly. Trans people or parents of trans kids don’t really need to be the bad guys in the current climate. Knowing nothing about the author it seems like he just threw that stuff in there because it was topical, not really putting much thought into how it came off outside the plot of the story. Pretty reckless, but it doesnt seem like it was intended to be right wing BS. Those idiots are usually way less subtle about it. .
50% done Spoiler this book reads like a boring horror movie. Hopefully something cool happens. Also not a fan of the writing, some is pretty cringe.
Finished Spoiler 6/10 The 2nd half was much better and this is typically a genre I don't read. I also found it interesting that it's written as a memoir from the narrator. I thought the writing was pretty bad for the first few pages but attributed that to recently reading Cronin and Doerr. It wasn't that bad, especially when you take it for what it is - a simple supernatural story. My biggest complaint will be the same as many others: the parents are such cartoonishly terrible characters, both before and after the twist. I think Truman nailed it with his comments too. Glad I read it but will likely skip any books this author writes going forward.
I’m about a quarter of the way through. Enjoying it so far. Same narrator as Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series so that’s throwing me off a bit. I do wish I could see the drawings though. Want to see what Anya (sp?) looks like.
Just finished a couple books I had checked out before this one. So I’ll start tomorrow or Monday at the latest. I generally fo a combination of audio (when I walk my dog) and kindle. Truman noyiced you said that’s a mistake l, would I miss too much doing that?
I said you WOULD NOT miss much doing audio. The picture certainly add something but also think they’re pretty well explained in the text
I agree, it’s nice to see the pictures and I appreciate Truman posting them but it’s not crucial to follow the plot. They’re explained.
So I started today about 40% in and I don’t know what to put into spoilers and what are just thoughts. I’ll err on the side of caution and put everything into a spoiler although I don’t think anything is a a “spoiler”. Spoiler First of all unnecessary racist neighbor was unnecessary. It didn’t add anything to the plot and I hope the early racist outburst is the only one in the book. I am not holding against the author but it is unneeded bullshit. Obviously Mallory is an unreliable narrator so I don’t know what to believe. I have no idea if the family is real, if she is actually in recovering or what. The “male gaze” study was fake so maybe this job is too. It seems too good to be true. For some reason I originally thought little teddy was a dog. The way she described him and the “flea collar” made me think has she imagined a kid and all she is a dog sitter. She is lying to the guy about herself and her family so is she also lying to us? The father instantly going from “hey we aren’t hiring you to being great also is weird”. The terrible Spanish translation is getting on my nerves. So far it’s been an easy enjoyable read. Depends on how much I read tomorrow but I can see being done tomorrow or Wednesday at the very latest. Thoughts in a nutshell. 1. Have to disagree with Truman but I think you should read on an iPad. While they do a good job describing the pictures, seeing the difference in the quality of the same pictures obviously being drawn by two entities is important imo. 2. Having just watched the two shows dealing with the opioid epidemic and knowing how difficult it is to kick I wonder if Malory is actually clean. She is obviously an unreliable narrator so I wonder if this is all in her head. 3. The more and more I think about the casual racism the more I’m pissed off about it. It literally added nothing to the story except painting Brown men as rapist. Mitzi obviously knows the father and son are members of the community. She makes them “the others” simply because of the color of their skin. IDK what the purpose of that is in the story.
I finished it and agree with this w.r.t. the criticism from the review I posted in the first few post itt. I don’t think it’s malicious just a little weird. I enjoyed it, was quick fun but the ending was a little silly. 6.7/10.
So about 80% done I’ll finish today. I’m gonna shoot my shot. Not a true spoiler because it’s a hunch so if I’m wrong then it’s not a spoiler if I’m right then it is. Spoiler Ted made a pass at the previous babysitter (Anya) and or raped her. Caroline killed her and the husband buried her. Teddy has either been told she wasn’t real or to pretend she wasn’t real. Anya was obviously Latina because they have never been to Barcelona and she is who Teddy picked up Spanish from. Wanted to post this before I finished the book to see if I figured it out.
Spoiler I had just read the part when Teddy said they took a car from Barcelona. I hadn’t read that Anya is “mom”. I just guessed what I thought was the most plausible. Ted being a Perv, the Spanish, Teddy constantly saying “I know she isn’t real”. All said killed babysitter who spoke Spanish. I hadn’t read when Mallory had confronted them yet about Teddy being female. On an aside I don’t think the book is anti trans because it’s obvious that neither Teddy nor the parents believe she is Trans. They just dressed her up as a boy to hide her. It makes no sense that they’d continue the lie in Iowa let alone their permanent home.
So I finished. Regarding the criticism that blackfish posted. Don’t think they are completely valid but not without merits it’s not racist but imo more xenophobic. It is fat phobic and while I originally thinking it wasn’t transphobic after reading Truman’s post I agree it can come off as problematic. I’ve been reading fire horror so this one is pretty disappointing when compared to those other ones. It wasn’t bad and I am glad I read it. I’m glad I’m reading as much as I am and back on this board. 3 out of 5 stars. Glad I read wasn’t horrible I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but I wouldn’t tell anyone not to read it. I did like the wrap up at the end.
My Heart is a Chainsaw and Don’t fear the Reaper both by SGJ. Piñata by Gout. Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina White Horse by Wurth and All Hallows by Golden were all really good. The Quiet Tenet might give you some Mallory Vibes but it’s still good. Currently reading Loteria by Peleyo which is based on a Latino game that’s similar to bingo. But, it’s played when cards and characters not numbers. It threw me off because it’s an anthology which I wasn’t aware of before I started reading it.