taaya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Drug use, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Miscarriage
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
J’ai l’impression qu’Ophélie est demi-romantique, et Thorn présente plusieurs traits autiste. Est-ce voulu? Je n’en sais rien, mais c’est ce qui m’a semblé le plus captivant dans ma lecture.
Malheureusement, tous les personnages sont froids et la plupart sont dénués de caractérisation outre des défauts très superficiels qui deviennent leur entière personnalité.
Je ne sais pas non plus si le sous-entendu est intentionnel, mais les “provinciaux” semblent avoir un accent québécois et ça me rend mal à l’aise. Tout comme les références à la religion animiste, qui est fondamentalement liés à l’histoire coloniale et aux peuples africains et autochtones — pour la plupart décimés par les colonies françaises… M’enfin, c’est peut-être seulement mon interprétation de la chose.
Je ne sais pas encore si je vais lire la suite. Ce sont de gros livres avec peu d’action qui demandent beaucoup de travail cérébral pour peu de résultats.
Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Child death, and Sexism
Minor: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Rape
ransomoney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book wasn’t really for me. almost dnf about half way through. The characters are all very cruel to each other, which makes sense within the setting but I didn’t enjoy reading.
Also overuse of the word “lugubrious”
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Trafficking, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexism
allisonmspiers's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Sexism, Alcohol, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
lokes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
The worldbuilding was a bit sloppy, but interesting, but plot and characters? Icky. Like, really bad.
Not only did it have tropes such as forced marriage and hints of pedophilia (as soon as the guy was always called a “man with his big hands; like a father; etc” and the woman described as “girl with small hands; being generally very young and clueless and in need of constant help”) I had a bad feeling and boy wasn’t I wrong.
I don’t know why so many people like a book which is filled with sexism, weird stereotypes, classism, racism and basically everything you don’t want to read about when it is normalized (or rather being glorified, because you just couldn’t catch a break when reading. It just kept coming)
I do feel like I need to apologize to the person I am now that I read this book because it wasn’t pleasant and I feel like I need to unlearn all of the very harmful stuff I just read about.
The writing style’s not bad though, I could have liked it without the weird content.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, Child abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, and Confinement
hilsaa's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
2.0
Every character is absolutely horrible to one another with no redeeming qualities, even Ophelia who I liked at the beginning, was so passive and boring by the end. Nothing she did affected the plot in any way, the plot was bare-boned and uninteresting. It's kind of a depressing, sad book, Ophelia is really just having a horrible time being abused by almost everyone.
The world and magic were interesting as a premise and in the beginning it was an interesting read, but I didn't much care for the circus-esc, fantastical, extravagant world Ophelia was thrown into. I thought the setting would be wintery and cold (perhaps because of the name of the book...) The drug use and excessive drinking and smoking was unexpected and unpleasant.
Graphic: Alcohol and Drug use
thebookaholic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Alcoholism, and Incest
Minor: Suicide
bee_a_friend's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
Minor: Suicide
grizzlysnack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Incest
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Sexual content, and Suicide
harmony822's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Pregnancy and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual assault, and Violence