@@weirdobookclub I am a nerd so I googled. The first motorcycle was introduced in 1885. Oil lamps were out of use almost entirely by 1850-1870ties BUT they they were replaced by KEROSENE lamps by 1870ties which were used widely up until PROBABLY 1950ties (electricity became widespread by then, and it was discovered in 1880s) I don't trust this author to actually know her lamps, but TECHNICALLY it's still possible to have kerosene lamps, cobblestone, electricity and motorcycles mashed up together 😂
Ah yes my 2 favorite things in any vaguely victorian YA-fantasy alternate universe book - Jesus Christ - the implication that hit reality tv show "Survivor" exists
I don’t think I’m ever gonna get over her tw “romanticised mental illness” she literally just said “yep I’m an asshole about ppl with mental illnesses 💕💕 they are scary toys for me to use and play with xoxo”
@@weirdobookclub The Person Who wrote this Book definitely needs mental help and that poor Dog if The Government really uses it to try to bring Me in well I don't have A Dog but I would definitely try to fight to get it back
person with did here - I wanted to clear up that sexual alters do in fact exist and the author seems to have done at least cursory bits of research about them (they *do* form due to sexual trauma! but this is as a protection/coping mechanism for what was done to them) but she portrays them... interestingly.... they are not weird incels who don't respect boundaries just to get some, they just have a role to play in the system involving sexuality. I also want to add that oftentimes they are holding trauma responses or memories and can be extremely sex repulsed as a result. also! we are called alters and not personalities! no worries for the times you called them that before if you didnt know ^^ all in all thanks for reviewing this this author sucks haha
Thank you so much for commenting and giving me some perspective! I know so little about DID but I did assume that sexual alters could split and form from trauma. That was one of the only things she wrote that did make sense to me and seemed plausible 😂 I don’t have DID but I have experienced sexual trauma/CSA and have PTSD as a result and I know how life altering that can be in general. Again, I’m so glad you commented and shared your insight with me! ♥️♥️♥️
person with DID as well- thank you for writing this as it is more concise than what I could put into words! Also, the mc has an... *interesting* name... (neg)
That whole section with the bath in the river just screams "Not even an editor wanted to read this book" The fact that she didn't even proof read to check that all the characters' names were spelled correctly screams "Not even the author wants to read this book"
I'm just very confused as to why the character took off her clothes, only to then THROW THEM IN THE WATER! Unless of course, she was also doing laundry at the same time as her bath. Perhaps that's what she used the different soaps for....@@weirdobookclub
"I was in here for FOUR MONTHS and I almost lost my faith in you and formed a bond with my captor/torturer, I was this close to LOSING my MIND and you LEFT ME THERE" "girl its been four HOURS" is one of the funniest things ever. That's some peak (dark) comedy. I mean it *was* the funniest thing until realizing that apparently the cultural overlap between our world and this fantasy one is the bible and reality tv. Ok that final plottwist is hilarious too.
You mean to tell me they spent 3 to 5 business days explaining wtf a necklace is but they couldn’t explain why and how a MC executes their super power? This book sounds LEGIT. Nothing like a bizarre Wattpad story.
If the author herself is calling her violence “gratuitous” then why did she add that in there? Why did she write violence that she felt was unnecessary in her book? She is writing badly on purpose?
@@weirdobookclub handy of her to put it in the CW that her book is badly written enough to have scenes that don’t serve the plot or characters. She should also have a CW about the spelling inconsistencies and lack of an editor
@@maskedmanofthepast that could be, maybe it’s one of those words that you use a lot but if you needed to define it, you would have a hard time? I have words like that too 🤓
Ok I completely forgot that the country they're in is called Dementia, so when you said it I nearly fell out of my chair. Love the voices you did reading the excerpt. The hair twirl was a nice touch 🤣🤣🤣
You know, even if they don’t have TV or radio or whatever, which would make no sense, wanna know what they do have? Portraits. The common person should know what the leader looks like as a focus of reverence in a dystopian society. It’s why the Party in 1984 created Big Brother, it makes no sense that she wouldn’t know:
Yeah, the magic didn't really come into play until this book and even now, I have no idea what the magic system is or how it works. I hate it though, I know that!
I hate read this so that I could share it with my office mates who loved my rant review/summarization of the first one. This book had me screaming "what the fuck" through out its entirety. I couldn't believe no one had done a review yet but yours is perfection. I was cackling this morning.
This book feels like it's from an alternate reality where the term "feminism" is used to mean "bigotry against women" in the same way that racism means bigotry against other races. With some of the shit in here, I could genuinely be convinced that the author does think that's what feminism means.
Yeah, I predict that as the story continues, Skylenna is going to have this "metamorphosis" where she goes from being "useless, deadweight" to some sort of girl power boss babe. I am concerned.
I hate to be the one to bear this news, but pretty much every "but WHY" thing in this book can be answered with "because it's a fetish". specifically, varying levels of extreme BDSM. shackled to a wall after being tortured? classic sadism/bondage. sex after drowning? that's breathplay. very specific about "the kind of cage you would put a dog in"? petplay, baby. even the horrific elements in the fatphobic part are like, force feeding/sex slave/altered mind stuff, a combination that I have only otherwise stumbled across in my own morbid curiosity in one book that literally called itself something like "fuck sex slave on monster dong island", WHICH REALLY DID A BETTER JOB OF WARNING YOU "hey, heads up, this book is jam-packed with ALL my favorite highly dubious kinky shit, stop reading while you can" (which I did, that book was Not Good lmfao) I'm not saying this to be like "oh yeah, that's just kink, so calm down"/"your feelings are invalid" etc, but rather "that's kink, several elements of which and one in particular fall into the VERY EXTREME category, which you (the author) HAVE to be upfront about that kind of thing in your messaging when writing a book so that people who aren't into it/would be hurt by it know to avoid it". even with the list of TWs, I didn't clock that the violent bits were ALSO the sexy bits, so the overall fetishistic nature of the content did surprise me, also partially bc none of the other discussion videos I've seen went into detail about any of the sex scenes in the book. when you CW for kinks, you HAVE 👏 TO 👏 NAME 👏 THE 👏 KINKS!!👏 "CW tortureplay/sadism" is MUCH more specific than "gratuitous violence", that could mean literally anything here i assume the author is aware of the BDSM in the book and wrote it that way on purpose (actual quality of the writing/problematic elements non withstanding), but current social media algorithms (and tt in particular) don't really allow for niche success without letting it cross into the wider bookosphere. "YA fantasy romance adventure" is the base assumption, so "kinky BDSM fantasy romance" was never going to fly very well, even if the writing was actually like. good lmao. hopefully this is useful context, I know I find it easier to disengage with stuff I don't like once I realize there's fetish stuff I'm not into involved lmao. not my clowns not my circus etc
I totally get everything you’re saying and it makes sense entirely but I think the author approaches these things in the same ignorant, half baked way she did the mental health rep. I think she get ones little cluster of information on a topic and instead of trying to learn more about it so she can work it into the story in a nuanced, well informed and accurate way… she just shoves it in there without care or consideration. The other day I saw a post she shared on her IG recommending books that “feature a daddy kink” which is another fetish within the BDSM community but then she included The Wild by K. Webster in the list and while I think that book may ~appeal~ to people who enjoy the daddy kink… The Wild is actual incest romance between a father and his teenage daughter. And even if you don’t have a lot of knowledge about BDSM or DDLG or age play etc, a quick google search will bring you several well informed articles that make it very clear that daddy kink has nothing to do with incest or wanting to sleep with your actual father. This is just the freshest example I have of the author of this series being flippant with a community and language that she doesn’t have a true understanding of. That makes it hard to trust anything she does or writes.
@@weirdobookclub oh absolutely, "thing is kink actually" doesnt mean it's free of criticism. there's all kinds of kinks/fetishes/etc that hinge on things like racial stereotypes, ableism, cishet perceptions of evil gays, etc etc, and they're all rooted in/reflect on the cultural assumptions people often either don't realize they have or choose to ignore, which does a LOT of harm when its not taken as Not How Life Works Actually, and people absorb them as factual. I just find that it helps me personally to be aware of the possibility of "thing is intended as kink" so I know HOW to approach my criticism, bc otherwise I find it can be difficult to really have a productive conversation if it's talked about with a more average "the writer has unexamined assumptions that popped up in their writing, but they can do better if they're made aware of them and work to fix them" types of discussions, because "makes me horny" is an unfortunately compelling argument for a lot of people, including ones who don't do the work to engage in/write their kinky lit with reader safety in mind (the number of writers/artists I've had to block because they refused to let go of their racialized fetish preferences, PHEW). I was also mostly astounded that, from what I can tell by the other comments, this book is SOAKED THROUGH with kink, down to the one random conversation with the maternal figure queen lady doing some dommy mommy degradation/praise type stuff, and I haven't seen anyone bring it up before your "now I can be down for some kinky stuff, but-" comment in the video lmao. absolutely buckwild for this book to have gotten spread around so much
I was disappointed with all the oh-so-subtle "hints" of Skylena's SeCrEt PaSt that the locket showed the twin sister was real, and not a figment of her imagination/creation of trauma.
I wholeheartedly believe that Skylenna walked around Aurics house like the D.W. from Aurther meme, with glaring signs all around her that he was the leader and she’s just like, ‘that sign won’t stop me because I can’t read’.
"Why am I listening to you anyways? You're a virgin who can't drive" - anyone remember this from Clueless? I'm sorry, I had to! As soon as she said that about Skylena 😂
I love the way you play with your hair when you read excerpts. It really adds to the whole "emulating a YA protag" vibe. I love it. And your "I'm done with life" faces when you're fed up with this shit. Which is always. But. Like. FAIR. Also, as someone who has an embarrassing amount of difficulties picking up a lot of subtleties/dog whistles in any sort of media, the fact that the whole Dark Elves thing even made ME go ".....wait. That sounds kinda sus..." THE LOUDEST SCREAM THAT'S EVER BEEN SCRUNKED! I CRIED, OML!!! There's such a problem with YA novels and their authors not realizing just how fucking painful torture is. Have these people ever stubbed their fucking TOE before? That shit's bad enough, and that's only painful for a few seconds at most. Skylenna is SUCH a terrible fucking name. I CANNOT take ANYTHING seriously with that. Even if the book itself WAS any good, her fucking name would make it a moot point. And the sex scene where the problematic Love Interest groans that name is just.....ugh. I hate it..... What is WITH the "magic system" in this book? I keep asking myself wtf all this shit is. Like, between the Dark Elves and Albatross being able to project that shit onto Skylenna like hypnosis or something it makes me wonder what even is with this shit "magic system"? The return of those guys immediately made me think the author feels like guys are easily forgiven despite any atrocities they may commit. But God Fucking Forbid a woman wear anything that doesn't cover her from head to toe while simultaneously talking to the protagonist's Love Interest. :/ Final Note: I hate that these books have Puppet/Marrionette-related titles. Puppets and Marrionettes are cool and fuck this horrible author for having those words in the titles of her books. (Which aren't even related to the books themselves, either. like. what is WITH that?????)
In regards to the "puppet" thing: So far in these books, it is mentioned/implied that when Skylenna is anxious, she sketches out a puppet. It is never explained or elaborated on, but every so often she would say "I need to sketch that puppet later" or would in her mind "draw the legs, the arms, the strings." Shocking that she wouldn't explain further. It's almost like the author has no idea what she's doing 🤪
@ the publisher if ur reading this, i have a merch idea, now presenting: DESSIN'S RUNAWAY KIT containing one MOTORCYCLE, one BAR OF ARTISANAL SOAP, one ???no those are the only two things??, and a GO GET 'EM ATTITUDE
Please, I BEG of you, bring us more rant reviews!! You're AMAZING at them!! For all the gnarly problematic aspects of this book, it's good to remember that it is also hilariously awful. Subscribed!
Tells her she’ll be starved… and then force fûcking feeds her like??? This whole book just feels extremely train of thought run, just what’s the most messed up stuff I can write over and over with no thought to what I’ve already written
UGH this is my favourite kind of book review it’s perfectly salty and funny with snappy editing and I am giggling my way through work with this in my earbuds!
Ok I just looked up The Master and Margarita expecting some sort of Jimmy Buffet fanfic, but this actually looks like a good book! I’m going to put it on my list 😝
The finnish translation of master and margarita is called 'Satan comes to Moscow' and I'm a little sad it isn't the international one because it's rad as anything 😂
Oh great. Love the idea that the most sexual alter is the one from childhood abuse. Can we please stop treating childhood abuse as something that always turns you super horny?
That was my issue with it as well. Like, I completely get that CSA is traumatic, I have firsthand experience but this felt misguided and irresponsible at best.
Always? How many people are doing that? Cuz hypersexuality caused by CSA is definitely a thing that happens but how many authors are writing it so frequently and badly that it seems like a known problem? (I honestly don't read that much so that was a genuine question.)
Wow that cipher solution is literally one of the first things I’d try if I think a random message is a cipher. Like, the only thing easier to solve than that would be if someone underscored the words that form the secret message.
This book is derivative in the oddest ways. The elves and the great hall and large bearlike man (not to mention receiving gifts and boons) follow both general folklore/adventure tales but specifically two points in the original Hobbit book. The specific way they go about 'mental illness gives you super powers' is very reminiscent of the noxious stereotypes and other details in Split/Glass Shyamalan duology. Baffling. ETA: the fact that Dessen carved egotistical gestures into the torturer's forehead and then just let him go makes him the most useless entity that ever did step a foot on earth. The paternalistic murder of women so men don't have to be troubled by what's happening to them is repeatedly celebrated, but when he was free enough to mutilate this guy, he stopped there. What he cared about was turning him into an expression of his power.
37:50 a noise involuntarily left my body when you said this I think it was my soul, that was the thing from this mess that fully severed the last string keeping that in there
I'm a writer and I love watching reviews because it helps to teach me what readers want and enjoy. It also shows me that I don't have to try so hard to make sure my stories are interesting, my characters have personalities, and my settings are historically accurate because anything can be published.
@@weirdobookclub I'm waiting for the french YA dystopian where the main love interest is named Fishing to truely know that we are in the worst timeline xD
There are endless things I could say in my perturbment but ok so he "mercy killed" the literal "catatonic sex slaves" by SLITTING THEIR THROATS? he couldn't have done anything less overtly painful and terrifying? Like at least go for the heart, but you're gonna just slit their throat and watch them slowly die? Literally 🧐
Everything you said was so based but I would absolutely not leave my dog behind. this is gonna be a 10 level plot prison break for the dog and if I die in the process then I die
first book we disrespect mental illness, now with simulated pain man we can disrespect physical illnesses and chronic pain too! yippie, how did the author not understand why folks got annoyed with her?
I’m sorry but everytime you say this chicks name I just hear “ Skyleena” or whatever that IUD was called lol 😂. And I thought it was bad I have two characters called Puck and Lazarus ( although at least for my story their names tie into their stories so eh)
I'm halfway through this review and it's so good. You are so good at this, I'm laughing so hard about everything that happens it's great. Thank you for making this video
These books are absolutely horrible. I felt bamboozled by booktok when I read the first one. Dear god it's awful. Even without all of the absolutely abhorrent representation, they're just so badly written that they're legitimately difficult to read. Aaaaaa. Next time I want a spicy fantasy romance I'm just gonna re-read Kushiel's Dart again.
this was the first erotic portion of the series. That means two whole books and almost 1000 pages went by and DYING FISH is what we finally get?! Thanks, I hate it.
person with partial did here to add something else (ik someone else commented on the sexual alter thing, which is something i have!) but animal alters are also a thing! i know the joke about the snake alter was made without ill intentions but it's just something i wanted to clarify bc it made me a little uncomfortable. animal alters can come about for any multitude of reasons, but uh...as far as getting special abilities from them? god i only WISH. why tf cant i breathe underwater come on
The joke wasn’t aimed at animal alters, it was aimed at claiming to be able to breathe underwater or do magical, impossible things while that alter is in place but I am sorry my joke made you uncomfortable, that was not my intent.
@weirdobookclub i knew the joke wasn't meant to be harmful, so it's totally okay! no hard feelings or anything like that 🩷 this is still an extremely awful book and you're so brave for going through it, thank you for your hard work
No, I'm sorry, my brain literally went into like a numb confusion and I can no longer focus on anything else. She thought she was trapped for four months. But it was four hours and IN those four hours Dessen was able to save four people without an issue. I can no longer focus on anything else. This is maddening
What the actual fuck is this universe lol, it's so ridiculously disjointed and not explained, how do they have Christianity and yet seem to not be part of our world??
put this on while i do my finals work for uni and i'm so incredibly sleep deprived that i had to turn this off for a couple minutes to just process ecverything. Artisinal Soapls....
isn't that "we have to pretend to be really sexual with each other but we're just friends, honest" thing a plot point ripped straight out of ACOMAF? i haven't read it, i'm just going off Cari Can Reads' plot summaries
I have not read it either but it 100% is a theme I loathe with every fiber of my being. You're adults, have a conversation, stop this hair twirly dumb shit.
I wish I could tell you. It has no relevance whatsoever as of completing the second book but if I finish, I will keep you posted if it ever becomes relevant 💀
@@weirdobookclub FYI, your rants have become my favorite pseudo-podcast to listen to while I'm doing stuff. Joined your Patreon. PLEASE keep these coming because they are the absolute best.
@@TheCandidCourtesan OMG thank you so much! I do actually have a podcast if you’re looking for more stuff to listen to! It’s before I found my rhythm so to speak but you can listen on Spotify spotify.link/wgPQyEsEABb and Apple podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weirdo-book-club/id1639725999
Would like to say that the gasping like a dying fish is made better by the idea that fish don't breath air so a gasping fish would just be opening and closing it's mouth. She's just flapping her mouth open and shut? Hawt 🥵🔥
Like I adore secret identity shenanigans and plot siege involving them (probably a little too much), but that really isn’t was poorly executed..... Also the book ends there?!!! That’s like the worst ending ever.
The doll part of this book is by far the worst part. This is a real thing that happened during world war 2. They are called comfort women. What a terrible peroson to write that into a book for enjoyment.
this is a question with many possible answers however... I have none lol. Obviously for the two MCs to bang a lot but otherwise, I get lost. It initially felt like reevaluating the methods used at the asylum was a goal but they got away from that. Running from Demechnef was a goal until they -_- decided they needed their help? I hate it so much but I honestly have no clue.
I know you didn't mean anything by it, but the joke about splitting a new alter after getting his hand caught in a door really rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I know it wasn't your intention and that you're championing plural people, but headmates have formed for less, and it's a little bit too close to the fakeclaiming a lot of systems go through for me to be comfortable with. Like I said, I know you didn't mean anything by it, and that it was you making fun of the horrible 'superhuman headmate' trope, but I still wanted to let you know. Apart from that I really enjoyed and appreciated this review. Thank you for subjecting yourself to this literary torture so that other people don't have to.
In no way was I demeaning or being intentionally mean spirited towards the issues or individuals who actually live with DID. I was making fun of the character and the author for her inaccurate, often ridiculous portrayal. and for context, earlier in the book when he was explaining his alter “Aquarus” she claimed he was a “fictional alter… a god of the sea” who was formed after a simulated drowning treatment in the asylum. I’m guessing that without this context, it did come off a bit poorly and inconsiderate and I’m so sorry for that! I admittedly don’t know much about DID and I always aim to be mindful in my reviews WHILE having fun so I appreciate you letting me know that my comments didn’t sit right with you!
@@weirdobookclub Oh I understand completely! Like I said, I know you didn't mean anything by it, and that you were calling out the author for the super ableist trope of superpowered alters. The comment being so close to fakeclaiming is absolutely not something you would have any way of knowing, and we don't fault you *at all* for it (can't stress that enough). Thank you for being so receptive! We really appreciate you standing up for plural folks. It means a lot to see it outside of plural spaces.
@@weirdobookclub it honestly blows my mind that someone wrote this, and then re-read it (and obviously did zero edits), and then said “yeah, I should charge people money for this.” Like 🤯🤯🤯
After the last 2 months of suffering through Haunting Adeline - and I do mean SUFFERING - I may need to read the 3rd just for some relief! Can you imagine?! No pressure but, my patreon is a great way to encourage me to do more things :)
"the characters are unlikable... hateable even" lmao true
ARCTIC ICE BATCH????????????????????????
DESSIN JUST HAVING ARTISANAL SOAPS
Believe it or not, I had so much more to yell about and these are just the ones that made the cut. I know you’re not surprised, you’ve suffered too 😂
RUNERUNARUSE IM DEAD
"we love to fuck" wow i died from cringe
THEY HAVE MOTORCYCLES BUT STILL USE OIL LAMPS????
I wish someone would explain it to me!!!!
@@weirdobookclub I am a nerd so I googled. The first motorcycle was introduced in 1885. Oil lamps were out of use almost entirely by 1850-1870ties BUT they they were replaced by KEROSENE lamps by 1870ties which were used widely up until PROBABLY 1950ties (electricity became widespread by then, and it was discovered in 1880s) I don't trust this author to actually know her lamps, but TECHNICALLY it's still possible to have kerosene lamps, cobblestone, electricity and motorcycles mashed up together 😂
@@this_Kwazicat I just googled 1885 motorcycle and imagining these characters riding around on them is an amazing visual
Ah yes my 2 favorite things in any vaguely victorian YA-fantasy alternate universe book
- Jesus Christ
- the implication that hit reality tv show "Survivor" exists
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Don’t forget constant reminders of SA and EDs ! Yay !
I don’t think I’m ever gonna get over her tw “romanticised mental illness” she literally just said “yep I’m an asshole about ppl with mental illnesses 💕💕 they are scary toys for me to use and play with xoxo”
I’m gonna do this awful thing but it’s cool bc I told you I was gonna!
@@weirdobookclub Van Diesel I am Grout
@@weirdobookclub The Person Who wrote this Book definitely needs mental help and that poor Dog if The Government really uses it to try to bring Me in well I don't have A Dog but I would definitely try to fight to get it back
person with did here - I wanted to clear up that sexual alters do in fact exist and the author seems to have done at least cursory bits of research about them (they *do* form due to sexual trauma! but this is as a protection/coping mechanism for what was done to them) but she portrays them... interestingly.... they are not weird incels who don't respect boundaries just to get some, they just have a role to play in the system involving sexuality.
I also want to add that oftentimes they are holding trauma responses or memories and can be extremely sex repulsed as a result.
also! we are called alters and not personalities! no worries for the times you called them that before if you didnt know ^^
all in all thanks for reviewing this this author sucks haha
Thank you so much for commenting and giving me some perspective! I know so little about DID but I did assume that sexual alters could split and form from trauma. That was one of the only things she wrote that did make sense to me and seemed plausible 😂 I don’t have DID but I have experienced sexual trauma/CSA and have PTSD as a result and I know how life altering that can be in general. Again, I’m so glad you commented and shared your insight with me! ♥️♥️♥️
person with DID as well- thank you for writing this as it is more concise than what I could put into words!
Also, the mc has an... *interesting* name... (neg)
That whole section with the bath in the river just screams "Not even an editor wanted to read this book"
The fact that she didn't even proof read to check that all the characters' names were spelled correctly screams "Not even the author wants to read this book"
She wrote one draft and just said "good enough"
The citrus, lavender, honey suckle nonsense had me incensed.
I'm just very confused as to why the character took off her clothes, only to then THROW THEM IN THE WATER! Unless of course, she was also doing laundry at the same time as her bath. Perhaps that's what she used the different soaps for....@@weirdobookclub
"I was in here for FOUR MONTHS and I almost lost my faith in you and formed a bond with my captor/torturer, I was this close to LOSING my MIND and you LEFT ME THERE" "girl its been four HOURS" is one of the funniest things ever. That's some peak (dark) comedy.
I mean it *was* the funniest thing until realizing that apparently the cultural overlap between our world and this fantasy one is the bible and reality tv.
Ok that final plottwist is hilarious too.
I will say, at every turn in this book, I was unsure what to expect next. The stupidity of it all was next level.
You mean to tell me they spent 3 to 5 business days explaining wtf a necklace is but they couldn’t explain why and how a MC executes their super power? This book sounds LEGIT. Nothing like a bizarre Wattpad story.
Absolutely agree. Highly accredited work of literature alert!
An alter that “can breathe underwater” reminds me of an edgy DID OC I made when I was like 10-12. I didn’t even know DID existed then.
If the author herself is calling her violence “gratuitous” then why did she add that in there? Why did she write violence that she felt was unnecessary in her book? She is writing badly on purpose?
If her intention was to write bad on purpose, she did a phenomenal job.
@@weirdobookclub handy of her to put it in the CW that her book is badly written enough to have scenes that don’t serve the plot or characters. She should also have a CW about the spelling inconsistencies and lack of an editor
My thought is that the author probably didn't know what that word meant. Probably thought it was another way to say grotesque or gory or something.
@@maskedmanofthepast that could be, maybe it’s one of those words that you use a lot but if you needed to define it, you would have a hard time? I have words like that too 🤓
@@maskedmanofthepast she's probably just copying the formatting of like, movie ratings and stuff
Ok I completely forgot that the country they're in is called Dementia, so when you said it I nearly fell out of my chair.
Love the voices you did reading the excerpt. The hair twirl was a nice touch 🤣🤣🤣
The hair twirl felt the most honest 😂
That was so many words for a bath. Like …come on now.
It’s the “gasping like a dying fish” for me.
Literally! Wait til you get to the part where she has to figure out what a necklace is 👀
@@weirdobookclub neck decoration. Jfc.
"and that's canonically correct, because the Lord is in this book!" 😂😂 God bless the algorithm for bringing you to me.
You know, even if they don’t have TV or radio or whatever, which would make no sense, wanna know what they do have? Portraits. The common person should know what the leader looks like as a focus of reverence in a dystopian society. It’s why the Party in 1984 created Big Brother, it makes no sense that she wouldn’t know:
"eat your goddamn porkchops and cut the theatrics" 👏
I watched reads with Rachel’s review(?) of the first book. I did not realize that the books are also set in a magic world?? Like what even.
Yeah, the magic didn't really come into play until this book and even now, I have no idea what the magic system is or how it works. I hate it though, I know that!
I hate read this so that I could share it with my office mates who loved my rant review/summarization of the first one. This book had me screaming "what the fuck" through out its entirety. I couldn't believe no one had done a review yet but yours is perfection. I was cackling this morning.
I yelled so often while reading this that I think my children started to worry about me. lol Thank you so much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed it
This book feels like it's from an alternate reality where the term "feminism" is used to mean "bigotry against women" in the same way that racism means bigotry against other races. With some of the shit in here, I could genuinely be convinced that the author does think that's what feminism means.
Yeah, I predict that as the story continues, Skylenna is going to have this "metamorphosis" where she goes from being "useless, deadweight" to some sort of girl power boss babe. I am concerned.
I hate to be the one to bear this news, but pretty much every "but WHY" thing in this book can be answered with "because it's a fetish". specifically, varying levels of extreme BDSM. shackled to a wall after being tortured? classic sadism/bondage. sex after drowning? that's breathplay. very specific about "the kind of cage you would put a dog in"? petplay, baby. even the horrific elements in the fatphobic part are like, force feeding/sex slave/altered mind stuff, a combination that I have only otherwise stumbled across in my own morbid curiosity in one book that literally called itself something like "fuck sex slave on monster dong island", WHICH REALLY DID A BETTER JOB OF WARNING YOU "hey, heads up, this book is jam-packed with ALL my favorite highly dubious kinky shit, stop reading while you can" (which I did, that book was Not Good lmfao)
I'm not saying this to be like "oh yeah, that's just kink, so calm down"/"your feelings are invalid" etc, but rather "that's kink, several elements of which and one in particular fall into the VERY EXTREME category, which you (the author) HAVE to be upfront about that kind of thing in your messaging when writing a book so that people who aren't into it/would be hurt by it know to avoid it". even with the list of TWs, I didn't clock that the violent bits were ALSO the sexy bits, so the overall fetishistic nature of the content did surprise me, also partially bc none of the other discussion videos I've seen went into detail about any of the sex scenes in the book. when you CW for kinks, you HAVE 👏 TO 👏 NAME 👏 THE 👏 KINKS!!👏 "CW tortureplay/sadism" is MUCH more specific than "gratuitous violence", that could mean literally anything here
i assume the author is aware of the BDSM in the book and wrote it that way on purpose (actual quality of the writing/problematic elements non withstanding), but current social media algorithms (and tt in particular) don't really allow for niche success without letting it cross into the wider bookosphere. "YA fantasy romance adventure" is the base assumption, so "kinky BDSM fantasy romance" was never going to fly very well, even if the writing was actually like. good lmao.
hopefully this is useful context, I know I find it easier to disengage with stuff I don't like once I realize there's fetish stuff I'm not into involved lmao. not my clowns not my circus etc
I totally get everything you’re saying and it makes sense entirely but I think the author approaches these things in the same ignorant, half baked way she did the mental health rep. I think she get ones little cluster of information on a topic and instead of trying to learn more about it so she can work it into the story in a nuanced, well informed and accurate way… she just shoves it in there without care or consideration.
The other day I saw a post she shared on her IG recommending books that “feature a daddy kink” which is another fetish within the BDSM community but then she included The Wild by K. Webster in the list and while I think that book may ~appeal~ to people who enjoy the daddy kink… The Wild is actual incest romance between a father and his teenage daughter. And even if you don’t have a lot of knowledge about BDSM or DDLG or age play etc, a quick google search will bring you several well informed articles that make it very clear that daddy kink has nothing to do with incest or wanting to sleep with your actual father. This is just the freshest example I have of the author of this series being flippant with a community and language that she doesn’t have a true understanding of. That makes it hard to trust anything she does or writes.
@@weirdobookclub oh absolutely, "thing is kink actually" doesnt mean it's free of criticism. there's all kinds of kinks/fetishes/etc that hinge on things like racial stereotypes, ableism, cishet perceptions of evil gays, etc etc, and they're all rooted in/reflect on the cultural assumptions people often either don't realize they have or choose to ignore, which does a LOT of harm when its not taken as Not How Life Works Actually, and people absorb them as factual. I just find that it helps me personally to be aware of the possibility of "thing is intended as kink" so I know HOW to approach my criticism, bc otherwise I find it can be difficult to really have a productive conversation if it's talked about with a more average "the writer has unexamined assumptions that popped up in their writing, but they can do better if they're made aware of them and work to fix them" types of discussions, because "makes me horny" is an unfortunately compelling argument for a lot of people, including ones who don't do the work to engage in/write their kinky lit with reader safety in mind (the number of writers/artists I've had to block because they refused to let go of their racialized fetish preferences, PHEW).
I was also mostly astounded that, from what I can tell by the other comments, this book is SOAKED THROUGH with kink, down to the one random conversation with the maternal figure queen lady doing some dommy mommy degradation/praise type stuff, and I haven't seen anyone bring it up before your "now I can be down for some kinky stuff, but-" comment in the video lmao. absolutely buckwild for this book to have gotten spread around so much
I was disappointed with all the oh-so-subtle "hints" of Skylena's SeCrEt PaSt that the locket showed the twin sister was real, and not a figment of her imagination/creation of trauma.
Oh that would've been interesting! alas, I do not think the author had it in her to be that intricate with her planning.
I wholeheartedly believe that Skylenna walked around Aurics house like the D.W. from Aurther meme, with glaring signs all around her that he was the leader and she’s just like, ‘that sign won’t stop me because I can’t read’.
Hahahahahahaha this is gold. I’m with you on this.
"Why am I listening to you anyways? You're a virgin who can't drive" - anyone remember this from Clueless? I'm sorry, I had to! As soon as she said that about Skylena 😂
I love the way you play with your hair when you read excerpts. It really adds to the whole "emulating a YA protag" vibe. I love it. And your "I'm done with life" faces when you're fed up with this shit. Which is always. But. Like. FAIR.
Also, as someone who has an embarrassing amount of difficulties picking up a lot of subtleties/dog whistles in any sort of media, the fact that the whole Dark Elves thing even made ME go ".....wait. That sounds kinda sus..."
THE LOUDEST SCREAM THAT'S EVER BEEN SCRUNKED! I CRIED, OML!!!
There's such a problem with YA novels and their authors not realizing just how fucking painful torture is. Have these people ever stubbed their fucking TOE before? That shit's bad enough, and that's only painful for a few seconds at most.
Skylenna is SUCH a terrible fucking name. I CANNOT take ANYTHING seriously with that. Even if the book itself WAS any good, her fucking name would make it a moot point. And the sex scene where the problematic Love Interest groans that name is just.....ugh. I hate it.....
What is WITH the "magic system" in this book? I keep asking myself wtf all this shit is. Like, between the Dark Elves and Albatross being able to project that shit onto Skylenna like hypnosis or something it makes me wonder what even is with this shit "magic system"?
The return of those guys immediately made me think the author feels like guys are easily forgiven despite any atrocities they may commit. But God Fucking Forbid a woman wear anything that doesn't cover her from head to toe while simultaneously talking to the protagonist's Love Interest. :/
Final Note: I hate that these books have Puppet/Marrionette-related titles. Puppets and Marrionettes are cool and fuck this horrible author for having those words in the titles of her books. (Which aren't even related to the books themselves, either. like. what is WITH that?????)
In regards to the "puppet" thing: So far in these books, it is mentioned/implied that when Skylenna is anxious, she sketches out a puppet. It is never explained or elaborated on, but every so often she would say "I need to sketch that puppet later" or would in her mind "draw the legs, the arms, the strings." Shocking that she wouldn't explain further. It's almost like the author has no idea what she's doing 🤪
@Weirdo Book Club Hm...Maybe- and this is just a thought! A tiny- but maybe plausible? -thought.....But maybe she doesn't? idk fam. she might not. lol
Maybe one of his "alters" has an Etsy shop where they sell handmade soap
The word *hate* doesn’t even begin to describe the ✨️vitriol✨️ I feel towards this book series.
@ the publisher if ur reading this, i have a merch idea, now presenting:
DESSIN'S RUNAWAY KIT containing one MOTORCYCLE, one BAR OF ARTISANAL SOAP, one ???no those are the only two things??, and a GO GET 'EM ATTITUDE
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Please, I BEG of you, bring us more rant reviews!! You're AMAZING at them!! For all the gnarly problematic aspects of this book, it's good to remember that it is also hilariously awful. Subscribed!
I have already drafted a few more for you so I hope you're excited! Thank you so much for this comment and for subscribing. I am feeling the love.
Tells her she’ll be starved… and then force fûcking feeds her like??? This whole book just feels extremely train of thought run, just what’s the most messed up stuff I can write over and over with no thought to what I’ve already written
Fever dream with no logic or continuity in sight.
I hope you know how good you are at editing because this is like a whole-ass comedy performance
What a nice thing to say, seriously. You made my day. I showed this comment to my best friend and said "prepare to be sick of me" 🥰
IM SAYING!!!!
My favorite way to encourage myself to write is to remind myself how many awful books get published, and mine can't possibly be worse. Thanks!
You're welcome! I let this motivate me too 🤪
UGH this is my favourite kind of book review it’s perfectly salty and funny with snappy editing and I am giggling my way through work with this in my earbuds!
thank you for saying that and I'm so glad you had fun!
I clicked because i read the title like "master and margarita" and thought "yeah that checks out"😂
But master and marionette? Cringe essence of a book
Ok I just looked up The Master and Margarita expecting some sort of Jimmy Buffet fanfic, but this actually looks like a good book! I’m going to put it on my list 😝
@@weirdobookclub yeah, russian fantasy classic. We were reading it for school. It's good, but it's a doozy
The finnish translation of master and margarita is called 'Satan comes to Moscow' and I'm a little sad it isn't the international one because it's rad as anything 😂
The MCs name sounds like an antidepressant
Reads with Rachel said it sounded like a birth control! 😂😂😂
literally i could swear there is a med with that name
@@DrBoyZephoSkyrizi
aw man that’s a shame bc it actually made me MORE depressed
Oh great. Love the idea that the most sexual alter is the one from childhood abuse. Can we please stop treating childhood abuse as something that always turns you super horny?
That was my issue with it as well. Like, I completely get that CSA is traumatic, I have firsthand experience but this felt misguided and irresponsible at best.
Always? How many people are doing that? Cuz hypersexuality caused by CSA is definitely a thing that happens but how many authors are writing it so frequently and badly that it seems like a known problem? (I honestly don't read that much so that was a genuine question.)
Wow that cipher solution is literally one of the first things I’d try if I think a random message is a cipher. Like, the only thing easier to solve than that would be if someone underscored the words that form the secret message.
I made Mary Kate and Ashley themed word searches in 7th grade that were more challenging.
This book is derivative in the oddest ways. The elves and the great hall and large bearlike man (not to mention receiving gifts and boons) follow both general folklore/adventure tales but specifically two points in the original Hobbit book. The specific way they go about 'mental illness gives you super powers' is very reminiscent of the noxious stereotypes and other details in Split/Glass Shyamalan duology. Baffling.
ETA: the fact that Dessen carved egotistical gestures into the torturer's forehead and then just let him go makes him the most useless entity that ever did step a foot on earth. The paternalistic murder of women so men don't have to be troubled by what's happening to them is repeatedly celebrated, but when he was free enough to mutilate this guy, he stopped there. What he cared about was turning him into an expression of his power.
37:50 a noise involuntarily left my body when you said this
I think it was my soul, that was the thing from this mess that fully severed the last string keeping that in there
I died several deaths, myself, so I get it.
@@weirdobookclub You dead several deaths Yourself what are You secretly immoral? Just kidding
I'm a writer and I love watching reviews because it helps to teach me what readers want and enjoy. It also shows me that I don't have to try so hard to make sure my stories are interesting, my characters have personalities, and my settings are historically accurate because anything can be published.
29:54 I love your energy. XD Your commentary really sells the insanity and gives me life
you're the best, I swear. I always turn up the volume when an "i told you so" moment comes up. lol
It's difficult to take a badboy seriously when his name is litterally "Drawing".
It’s fun!!! Like Drew 🤪🫡
@@weirdobookclub I'm waiting for the french YA dystopian where the main love interest is named Fishing to truely know that we are in the worst timeline xD
The hairstroking and voice you make for Skylenna (?) never fails to make me laugh.
When the glasses came off, omg. 😆
That's when you ~know~ 😂
Oh dear.... I remember watching Reads with Rachel’s review of the first book, so I’m really mentally strapping myself in for the ride so to say.
it's a bumpy one, for sure! Rachel did such a good job, too! We love her vids
DYING FISH? I’m what world is that sexy
In Dementia I suppose 😂💀
I love how you reenact the scenes bc I think that’s EXACTLY what br*nod’s inner voice is when she is writing this garbage
I think so too, it felt authentic lol.
There are endless things I could say in my perturbment but ok so he "mercy killed" the literal "catatonic sex slaves" by SLITTING THEIR THROATS? he couldn't have done anything less overtly painful and terrifying? Like at least go for the heart, but you're gonna just slit their throat and watch them slowly die? Literally 🧐
I fear we are putting more thought into this book than the author did
Everything you said was so based but I would absolutely not leave my dog behind. this is gonna be a 10 level plot prison break for the dog and if I die in the process then I die
first book we disrespect mental illness, now with simulated pain man we can disrespect physical illnesses and chronic pain too! yippie, how did the author not understand why folks got annoyed with her?
Every part of this sounds like a mad libs half-filled out with literal gibberish
Agreed!
the excerpts you read physically hurt me
Same
I just found your channel but I’m loving your humor and editing! 😂
You're so sweet, thank you so much!!
2nd or 3rd watch through. Natalie is the only person I can listen to about books I've never heard of .
I’m sorry but everytime you say this chicks name I just hear “ Skyleena” or whatever that IUD was called lol 😂. And I thought it was bad I have two characters called Puck and Lazarus ( although at least for my story their names tie into their stories so eh)
I can hear the commercial now:
Do you leak between the legs?! SO DID I, that was, until I tried ~Skylenna~ lol
@@weirdobookclub LOL 😂
Ngl that comment in the book threw me for a loop, like how sheltered is she that she doesn’t know her body does that? 😬
You're sarcasm is my best friend. Thank you 😂
😘😘😘😘
I'm halfway through this review and it's so good. You are so good at this, I'm laughing so hard about everything that happens it's great. Thank you for making this video
Thank YOU for watching, I really appreciate it and your comment so much. Made my day!
These books are absolutely horrible. I felt bamboozled by booktok when I read the first one. Dear god it's awful.
Even without all of the absolutely abhorrent representation, they're just so badly written that they're legitimately difficult to read. Aaaaaa.
Next time I want a spicy fantasy romance I'm just gonna re-read Kushiel's Dart again.
These books might actually contend with Onisions absolutely horrifying (not in a good way) writing
not the 19-year-old virgin that can't drive 🤣
I spent the entire review seeing every weird plot hole 🕳 saying: *"The fuck is this? The fuck is that? The fuck are those?!"* 🥴 what is this book?!
a hot mess!
Even people with dementia would know that none of this book makes sense! Great video ❤️
lololol thank you so much!
“Dying fish”
I spit out my coffee. 😆
this was the first erotic portion of the series. That means two whole books and almost 1000 pages went by and DYING FISH is what we finally get?! Thanks, I hate it.
I love your voice so much, there are points where you sound like Princess Caroline and also elastigirl
person with partial did here to add something else (ik someone else commented on the sexual alter thing, which is something i have!) but animal alters are also a thing! i know the joke about the snake alter was made without ill intentions but it's just something i wanted to clarify bc it made me a little uncomfortable. animal alters can come about for any multitude of reasons, but uh...as far as getting special abilities from them? god i only WISH. why tf cant i breathe underwater come on
The joke wasn’t aimed at animal alters, it was aimed at claiming to be able to breathe underwater or do magical, impossible things while that alter is in place but I am sorry my joke made you uncomfortable, that was not my intent.
@weirdobookclub i knew the joke wasn't meant to be harmful, so it's totally okay! no hard feelings or anything like that 🩷 this is still an extremely awful book and you're so brave for going through it, thank you for your hard work
this is like the worst DnD/Elder Scrolls fanfiction ever
42:51 this looks exactly like my dog
Please do more reviews like this! It’s so entertaining, I love it
Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoy! I’m working on a few so keep a lookout. 👀🥰
No, I'm sorry, my brain literally went into like a numb confusion and I can no longer focus on anything else. She thought she was trapped for four months. But it was four hours and IN those four hours Dessen was able to save four people without an issue. I can no longer focus on anything else. This is maddening
i see this book mentioned around booktube/booktok and i always think its the master and margarita
I would read that book as well haha
31:08 me when i get hit with the endometriosis ray
Why are you my new favorite? Because you had me rolling with laughter.
I am so happy to hear this, you're so sweet. Thanks for watching!
Why is the consistency all over the place 😭
Consistently inconsistent
GASPING?? LIKE?? A DYING FISH????
What the actual fuck is this universe lol, it's so ridiculously disjointed and not explained, how do they have Christianity and yet seem to not be part of our world??
I can’t speak for anyone with DID but this author is grossly irresponsible and deluded if she thought this was acceptable to publish in ANY state.
put this on while i do my finals work for uni and i'm so incredibly sleep deprived that i had to turn this off for a couple minutes to just process ecverything. Artisinal Soapls....
Honey, lets go hiking, dont forget to pack your artisanal soaps
isn't that "we have to pretend to be really sexual with each other but we're just friends, honest" thing a plot point ripped straight out of ACOMAF? i haven't read it, i'm just going off Cari Can Reads' plot summaries
I have not read it either but it 100% is a theme I loathe with every fiber of my being. You're adults, have a conversation, stop this hair twirly dumb shit.
Chekiss' actions are even worse considering what happens to the women that don't have the Lady Doll regiment
What happened to the drawing the puppet thing?
I wish I could tell you. It has no relevance whatsoever as of completing the second book but if I finish, I will keep you posted if it ever becomes relevant 💀
This is the first video of yours I’ve ever watched. I think you’re now my favorite 🤩 😂
aww you're sweet, thank you for watching ♥️
Rune/runa/ruse 😭💀
We stan whats her name lol
Please. PLEASE consider doing Priest. It’s smut, not horror like you like, but omg. I need your rant on this.
It is on my list!!! I see it all over TikTok and I’m intrigued but suspicious 👀
@@weirdobookclub FYI, your rants have become my favorite pseudo-podcast to listen to while I'm doing stuff. Joined your Patreon. PLEASE keep these coming because they are the absolute best.
@@TheCandidCourtesan OMG thank you so much! I do actually have a podcast if you’re looking for more stuff to listen to! It’s before I found my rhythm so to speak but you can listen on Spotify spotify.link/wgPQyEsEABb and Apple podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weirdo-book-club/id1639725999
Would like to say that the gasping like a dying fish is made better by the idea that fish don't breath air so a gasping fish would just be opening and closing it's mouth. She's just flapping her mouth open and shut? Hawt 🥵🔥
44:30 I literally clapped at the absurdity for this reveal. So beautiful. So stupid.
lol "flubber" I'm dead
id also choose to save the dog tbf xD
Like I adore secret identity shenanigans and plot siege involving them (probably a little too much), but that really isn’t was poorly executed.....
Also the book ends there?!!! That’s like the worst ending ever.
Siege=twists*
ignore the isn’t in the first message. Sometimes I can’t type.
After watching this, I'm sure your brain was just tired. It's ok
This is a wild ride that I applaud you for going on and that I will avoid. Hella hard.
Hard pass, I do not blame you one bit. Thanks for watching though!
I still can't believe she gave her character that prescription drug sounding name. Be sure to ask your doctor about Skylena!
The doll part of this book is by far the worst part. This is a real thing that happened during world war 2. They are called comfort women. What a terrible peroson to write that into a book for enjoyment.
I'm in tears laughing. This review is brilliant.
you're too kind, thank you so much!
42:16 NIKLAUS HENDRIX??
ill show myself out
Wow the fatphobia scene was freaking disgusting
disgusting, obscene, unnecessary. I hate it.
maybe it just got lost in all the other garbage, but what's the overarching plot of this series? What are the end goals of the main characters??
this is a question with many possible answers however... I have none lol. Obviously for the two MCs to bang a lot but otherwise, I get lost. It initially felt like reevaluating the methods used at the asylum was a goal but they got away from that. Running from Demechnef was a goal until they -_- decided they needed their help? I hate it so much but I honestly have no clue.
Great vid! But real talk the sexual harassment in the restaurant industry is…rough at best.
Thanks. True.
Just a btw I would support the FUCK outta you making these into a podcast-even if u didnt change anything & just made it an audio
Pleaaase review lightlark and assistant to the villain
I know you didn't mean anything by it, but the joke about splitting a new alter after getting his hand caught in a door really rubbed me the wrong way.
Again, I know it wasn't your intention and that you're championing plural people, but headmates have formed for less, and it's a little bit too close to the fakeclaiming a lot of systems go through for me to be comfortable with. Like I said, I know you didn't mean anything by it, and that it was you making fun of the horrible 'superhuman headmate' trope, but I still wanted to let you know.
Apart from that I really enjoyed and appreciated this review. Thank you for subjecting yourself to this literary torture so that other people don't have to.
In no way was I demeaning or being intentionally mean spirited towards the issues or individuals who actually live with DID. I was making fun of the character and the author for her inaccurate, often ridiculous portrayal. and for context, earlier in the book when he was explaining his alter “Aquarus” she claimed he was a “fictional alter… a god of the sea” who was formed after a simulated drowning treatment in the asylum.
I’m guessing that without this context, it did come off a bit poorly and inconsiderate and I’m so sorry for that! I admittedly don’t know much about DID and I always aim to be mindful in my reviews WHILE having fun so I appreciate you letting me know that my comments didn’t sit right with you!
@@weirdobookclub Oh I understand completely! Like I said, I know you didn't mean anything by it, and that you were calling out the author for the super ableist trope of superpowered alters.
The comment being so close to fakeclaiming is absolutely not something you would have any way of knowing, and we don't fault you *at all* for it (can't stress that enough).
Thank you for being so receptive! We really appreciate you standing up for plural folks. It means a lot to see it outside of plural spaces.
Of course! I’m honestly so sorry it caused any kind of discomfort. I’ll do better in the future! Thank you again for bringing this to me 💖
@@weirdobookclub No worries, honest! And thank you so much again for being receptive and coming to bat for our community. It means so much!
I don’t have worlds for how bad this is.
I struggle to articulate it as well lol
@@weirdobookclub it honestly blows my mind that someone wrote this, and then re-read it (and obviously did zero edits), and then said “yeah, I should charge people money for this.” Like 🤯🤯🤯
in all honesty, the funniest part is that it's called dementia
I love this review and also I LOVE your accent
Thank you!!!🤠
Nooooo! You have to read the third for us! Please!
After the last 2 months of suffering through Haunting Adeline - and I do mean SUFFERING - I may need to read the 3rd just for some relief! Can you imagine?! No pressure but, my patreon is a great way to encourage me to do more things :)