The weaving of multiple stories and themes was crafted so well in this. It was simultaneously a well-crafted horror story with building tension, and a commentary on consent and how intent doesn’t ultimately matter in some situations, you can cause harm to others whether you mean to or know it and you just have to fricken live with it. It was hard to listen to at times as the MC is incredibly frustrating, a selfish, self centered, pathetic boy who can’t read social signals and doesn’t give a shit about anyone but doesn’t REALIZE any of those things about himself. You’ll yell “dude STOP” so many times.

The ending was…. Hmm. I appreciate it actually even if it doesn’t feel cathartic. It has things to say and maybe it’s a bit heavy handed but apparently some dudes still miss the point by the end because “it’s just a story” despite the narrator literally telling you that horror stories are meant to comment on real things and teach lessons. 🤷 I mean he says this multiple times in the story so come on.

I was spooked though!! I was cringing and full of dread at multiple points and the climax of the story was CREEPY and so tense! A thoroughly good time honestly.

Don’t be fooled by my rating, I loved this book so much and am getting a physical copy and making my partner read it too. It’s just not perfect! But it’s very much my exact jam material wise. Toxic dark gay romance mixed with revenge plot and some magic monsters mythology? Souls intertwined? Weird fucked up loyalty to destructive ends? Fucked up creature x prissy rich boy dynamic? That’s my kryptonite! My only complaint about the audiobook specifically was I didn’t care for the voice he did for the main character. Otherwise he did a great job narrating it.

The story is pretty short and to the point, I had a great time listening to it in one sitting. The characters are my blorbos now. I love them. I can’t wait to reread this. This felt like a childhood story but with swearing and gore and sex (closed door, nothing seen just implied) and I devoured it. The mythology was awesome too, it made my heart ache.

It’s maybe nothing earth shattering but as I said it had TONS of elements (including ones I can’t say because of spoilers) that are specifically so catered to me that it was an instant hit for me. ❤️