M.C. Frank's Blog, page 13
June 28, 2023
All That Consumes Us review
4.5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: ghosts, dark academia, light horror, college settings, mystery, LGBTQ+ characters
Big thanks to Netgalley, HarperTeen, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book actually surprised me with the opening, which was different than what I’d expected. That being said, a lot of the other plot points in the book were very predictable and it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going to happen/going on as soon as the first threads were laid. I was actually kind of surprised Tara didn’t put it together immediately.
That being said, Waters does a good job with atmospheric writing and that really came through here. Before we’re even inducted into Magni Viri, the world of Corbin College is set with fog and prestige and tradition. Magni Viri adds an additional layer to this, and the Victorian mansion is both elegant and creepy. The natural surroundings come into play somewhat too, with cicadas, bats, forest, and fog all playing at least somewhat of a role in creating the mood and setting. I’m personally a fan of eco-horror and Southern Gothic, so I would’ve liked a bit more of nature/setting as a character, but the genre of this book is dark academia, so what’s here fits the bill.
Magni Viri is, as mentioned, steeped in secrecy and tradition. Only people who have been inducted have set foot inside the dormitory and there are whispers around Corbin College that students in Magni Viri perform dark rituals. There’s a good balance in Magni Viri of the academically/artistically intense and the supernaturally strange. The students are talented and are dedicated to their fields of study, sometimes to an unhealthy level, which contributes to the vibes of the story.
Our main character Tara has the fortune of being inducted into Magni Viri with a concentration in writing. Her dream is to become a writer and so being able to join should be everything she wants, but imposter syndrome and strange goings-on plague her as the semester progresses. It kind of bothered me how insecure Tara was. She applied to a prestigious academic group and wanted it with everything she had….but then she constantly doubts her own worth and questions her place. Like, you either think you’re good enough for prestige or you don’t, you can’t waffle in the middle. Luckily, this is also kind of the advice Tara gets from other people, though she isn’t too good at following (or trying to follow) it. Tara seems at least a little more confident by the end of the book, which is good, but it would’ve been nice to see it a bit earlier.
There’s a bit of an ensemble cast, but the main people are Penny, Tara’s kind-of girlfriend, and Wren, Tara’s roommate. Jordan, Neil, and Azar are other members of the freshman Magni Viri class, and senior Quigg comes up a few times we well. Most everyone is immediately inviting to Tara, though Neil is a bit standoffish at first. Wren is a music major in Magni Viri and is a good roommate/friend, but clearly has something else going on. Wren is one of the catalysts for things getting started plot-wise.
Penny is in Magni Viri studying bats and she and Tara are almost immediately close. Penny helps Tara to understand that she isn’t the only one in their prestigious program to have a disadvantaged background and she acts as somewhat of a stabilizing influence on Tara while also helping to increase her self-confidence.
I will say, as annoying as it was, Tara was justified in being angry at people for hiding things from her. Obviously it was a bad situation all around, but I still kind of think they should’ve tried harder to tell her what was going on.
One of the downsides of this book is that all the characters are just sort of there. They each have their own personalities and quirks and what not, but I didn’t really feel like we got much past the surface level for any of them. Having read the entire book, I don’t really have a ton to say about anyone, which is kind of disappointing for a book with an ensemble cast who all end up caught up in the plot.
June 27, 2023
Instagram credit: talesbytheshire
Instagram credit: talesbytheshire
June 26, 2023
— Frank O'Hara (via lunamonchtuna)
— Frank O'Hara (via lunamonchtuna)
lunamonchtuna:
— Frank O'Hara (via lunamonchtuna)
— Frank O'Hara (via lunamonchtuna)
little-oxford-st:
kindofapieceofshit:
doctorrwby:
absof...
absofuckinlutely not
You’re just continuing a long line of retail tradition babey
narcissistic abuse
After a while, narcissistic abuse has a numbing effect.
Where the abuse that used to feel like a searing pain - is now a dull ache.
You’re put through so many twists and turns in these relationships, you learn that having any big emotion isn’t “safe.”
Because anything you say or do can and will be used against you.
So, over time, you “numb out.”
You try to be “neutral.”
You stay away from saying too much, asking too much, or hoping too much.
Make no mistake - narcissistic abuse always hurts.
But when you’re criticized, demeaned, and rejected for so long - you learn to expect it.
As if being ignored is normal.
As if being dismissed is typical.
As if your needs being irrelevant is what you deserve.
You learn to expect less and less in a narcissistic relationship.
-Where you used to have hope for change - now you’re resigned to accepting “the way things are.”
-Where you used to endlessly explain yourself - now you say nothing.
-Where you used to beg for a morsel of affection - now you don’t even feel like you deserve touch.
You’re not only numb IN the relationship - you’re also numb OUTSIDE of it.
You can’t accept a compliment.
You don’t feel connected to anyone.
You aren’t present no matter where you are.
You feel less and less like yourself and more and more like a zombie.
You’re going through the motions, but you don’t really feel alive.
Narcissistic abuse slowly tears you away from everything that makes you… you.
bookscoffeedzen:
Bookshop in Rome 🤗📚
Bookshop in Rome 🤗📚
