Jo

Waited so long to read this and there were just too many plots and not enough linking it all together. There were a lot of great ideas but everything was just so scattered and wrapped up so quickly that it left you dissatisfied. I was interested to see the storyline behind the Robins but they literally popped up once with barely a mention.

The character of the Grim Knight completely outshined the Batman who Laughs from character design to origin story. The laugher's proportions made him seem so non-threatening, which contrasts how creepy his facial features were done and don't match the cover appearance of him sitting on the throne looking massive next to the Robins.

Decent book, the ending definitely threw me for a loop. A lot of the conversations just threw me off as not being natural or realistic. It overall had a cluttered and jumbled together feel to it though.

There were so many moments in this book that made me shake with rage because the characters were just being so awful. The people were worse than the vampire most of the time. The climax was just so good, everyone should experience it. Loved getting to see older women standing up against the men in their lives and just being so badass.

So inspiring and helpful for when you're going through tough times or at a crossroads. Read the e-book and ended up saving so many pages to look on for later days.

Proves that Junji Ito's works aren't solely good because of his art but also because of his writing. Was expecting outlandish horror rather than everyday atrocities. Literally couldn't finish it cause I was gonna go insane if I had to see one more sex scene.

Absolutely amazing story! Not my usual type of read but it reeled me in within pages. Didn't expect to cry so much towards the end.

Only reason for not giving 5 stars is the groundhogs day finale that felt never ending. I get the point and you really feel like you're the characters but that trope gives me extreme anxiety.

Absolutely loved! Haven't read a book in one sitting in a long time and couldn't put this one down.

The ending wasn't as gut-wrenching as others said, but it did leave you with an “oh no” feeling.

Almost a DNF but wanting to read the ending kept me going. The twist wasn't exactly what I expected but it didn't blow me out of the water. Characters were very flat, even the main character — her only personality trait was trauma. Glad the ending wrapped everything up though.

Some amazing insights can be found from reading this! The conversations about tasks, in particular, were the most powerful and I've already incorporated them into my daily life.
The format of the book really allowed for an easier read.

Of course a great Grady Hendrix read! It wasn't nearly as scary as I was expecting but it still made for a great story.

I originally had it at 5 stars but after comparing it to his other works it doesn't stand out as much.

So glad I decided to keep reading despite the length because it was so good and so methodically done. Filled with twists!!

Haven't finished a book this fast in a long time. Twists at the end of every chapter that kept you wanting to go on! Marrs does such an amazing job at creating characters and connecting them to you. He somehow blended every genre perfectly into this novel, and you feel every heartbreak and happy moment. Can't even pick my favorite storyline cause they were all so enthralling.

Could've been presented in a manner that motivated the reader to turn the page more. Heavily focused on the secret societies aspect, especially freemasonry. Would've enjoyed to see more of the hidden histories.

This was a pretty good read for the most part, but the last quarter was such a game changer and really elevated this book. My adrenaline was so high, I felt like I was at an actual concert.

Slow burn for the first half of the book. Too similar to the author's previous novel, but without the same spark.

Interesting read about the plastic surgery industry from over a decade ago. The writing flowed really well and had an anthropological feel to it.

Great book for fans of comparing the present and past as you get to see how much more extreme it's become now and what current trends the author would write about today.

Initially gave it 5 stars, but was left empty with the lack of love in the story. Being childhood friends you'd expect that trope to be filled with the usual gooey softness you're looking for but the main character seems to mainly lust after the leading man. The will-they-won't-they was extremely rushed. Was hopeful for the side characters but they fell flat where they could've really shined and added more to the story.

Went in looking for a rom-com and ended up with more of a smutty fanfiction that fell weak at the plot.

This was such a great story with cute romance and important representation of characters on the spectrum.

Read like I was watching a movie! So many unexpected twists and a main character that you're constantly rooting for and isn't a typical protagonist that's constantly messing up.

One of the best works I've ever read! Has so many gems of knowledge that you can incorporate into your everyday life and philosophies.

One of the WORST children in media. Truly diabolical and warped. Of course the father is a big part of the problem, like in every depiction of family horror where they don't believe their wives. Just absolutely frustrating!

Would love to see a short sequel about their future

I really don't know how I feel about this book after finishing it. It kept my interest but the ending was disappointing and no justice is ever served. It felt like you were supposed to root for Marion at some moments or at least feel for her. I guess the author wanted the reader to have that experience of sympathizing for Marion but also having a bad feeling about wanting her life to turn around cause she truly didn't deserve it.

Wish there wasn't a happy ending for the bad characters. The only good part was Judith becoming haggard cause that was the only kind of justice in this story's world.

Unexpected read, that showed a lot of the complexities stars had to face in old Hollywood. Very complicated characters that always leave you in the gray.

DNF: What God Hath Wrought?, Doll Hands, To Forget and Be Forgotten, & Florrie
I just couldn't get into these stories beyond the first few pages. I do suggest those that like “Tender is the Flesh” read the Doll Hands story.

4-5: Pig Thing, The Ancestors, & The Age of Entitlement

The rest of the stories were average content and writing for horror shorts. I would highly suggest The Ancestors story, it completely made the book worth reading.

The plot itself was interesting, but the formatting weighed it down. I usually love multiple POVs, short chapters, and diary entries — but it just led to a choppy, disjointed read. The last 100 pages did save this for me and make quite a convincing case to finish the series.