DNF @ 51%

I'm applauding myself a little for getting this far before I decided to look up spoilers and call it a day. While this book will certainly have its audience, that audience isn't me. Not only do I think the writing is mediocre (and a very clear imitation of Shirley Jackson that falls short), but the mass amounts of hate in this book are nausea-inducing, even for someone, like me, who doesn't have triggers for these particular things.

Content-specific issues I had:

- massive amounts of anti-Semitism (VERY hateful language, numerous cruel Holocaust references, terrible treatment of a Jewish side character)

- how racist Alice is and has been in the past

- the portrayal of a closeted trans man as a very vocal and well-known TERF

- how heavy-handed the usage of rape as a plot device is (it is literally referenced and/or depicted constantly!)

As an aside, while I certainly don't feel like it's fair to hold it against a trans author for writing graphic transphobia, I have never read such gratuitous, over-the-top transphobia in any other book as this one. There's a scene in particular where a forum post/transphobic fantasy is included that is so long-winded and repetitive and cruel that I finally had to tune out the audiobook altogether until it was over.

I had tremendously high hopes for this book and author, and was genuinely banking on having a new favorite of the year here, but every single page has been an utter and complete disappointment and I can't currently say I have any desire to read future works by Rumfitt.

Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.