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m0rdred_the_fallen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Mi niño, tú no estás en esta escuela porque tu padre y yo tengamos dinero, sino porqué te tallas el lomo todos los días. El día que dejes de hacerlo, todo esto se va
Es una cruda verdad que los problemas que enfrentan los protagonistas sigan tan presentes y que, parafraseando a Chiamaka, les molesta más que les digas que son racistas al racismo en sí mismo; y se puede decir lo mismo de la homophobia, del clasismo, de los juegos de poder enfermos de estos grupos de odio. Aún cuando se nota que muy en el fondo saben que lo que hacen está mal, es un pobre consuelo para cuando usan su poder y sus recursos para atacar a inocentes. Tristemente, cuando el virus del fanatismo llega a la cabeza no hay nada que pueda hacerse por esa persona sino huir, pues el fanatismo y la estupidez nunca afectan a los que lo tienen, sino a aquellos que les rodean. Y lo peor del caso es lo compenetrado que está el sistema de ello, este sistema que no sólo promueve y protege actos de odio irracional; los demanda para seguir funcionando. El mundo moderno está construido sobre la sangre de generación tras generación de inocentes para el beneficio de unos pocos que se creen con derecho a todo.
En esta lectura sólo hubo una cosa que me dejó con ganas de más:
Que haya sido un grupo de manifestantes quienes los salven al último tiene mayor peso porque es una comunidad que los acoge y protege, en lugar un individuo de una clase opresora que tuvo una crisis de conciencia. Eso, estuvo genial.
Lo que a mí gustaría haber visto es Belle recolectando información de Ases, delatando a la periodista y exponiendo a todos los integrantes en Niveus, y quizá algunos de otras escuelas como es que haya conocido por cualquier cosa. Pero que aún así Chiamaka le diga que no, no es suficiente por todo lo que le ha hecho. Incluso cuestionarla sobre su cambio de corazón, ¿Y si no se enamoraba de Chiamaka? ¿Se le opone a Ases porqué es lo correcto o porqué están agrediendo a alguien que quiere como pareja?
Lo recomendaria 10/10
Graphic: Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic friendship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Outing, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Car accident
Moderate: Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Addiction, Body shaming, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
123urmom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Stalking, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Sexual content, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Outing
Moderate: Drug abuse, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Alcohol, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
peachythi_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book also discusses micro-agressions and the systemic racism black people have to go through in the systems set up by white supremacy. This book is also so deeply disturbing I cried multiple times. Because everyone is fucked up and I need people to read it.
Graphic: Hate crime, Gaslighting, Racism, Classism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Murder, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Outing
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
snuggly_feminist'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Stalking and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Drug use
solenodon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Blood, and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide
kj468's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
That being said, I absolutely hated this book. I almost DNF'd ~50%. My library loan expired and didn't immediately re-borrow it. But I moved through the first half quickly, and the Goodreads reading challenge tempted me into completing it. My oh my, do I wish I had just let it be as a DNF.
This book is poorly written, both in terms of the actual prose and in terms of the overall plot and characters. The prose was awkward and jarring at times and generally felt like a middle schooler wrote it. The characters were unlikeable at best -- even the two MCs who, presumably, the reader is supposed to be rooting for. Outside of the two MCs, all the characters were incredibly flat and clearly present only to further the plot. They seemed to have no lives or personalities outside of their interactions with the MCs.
The plot didn't redeem the book, either. Every chapter felt like trauma porn, as if the author couldn't decide which aspects of the Black experience should be highlighted, and instead chose to highlight all of them. So many traumatic things happen to the characters, and often in such fleeting and plot-irrelevant ways, that the impact of discussing the issues is lessened. As a reader, it felt a little like the author was throwing sh!+ pies at me every chapter, only for the sh!+ to magically disappear and new sh!+ to appear, with the sole purpose seeming to be to remind me that sh!+ exists. A few examples of what I mean: the male MC mentions that a family friend's son (?) was murdered by police, but there's no actual discussion of police brutality and it only seems to be brought up to validate the MC's fear of police; the male MC's father is in prison and (small spoiler) suffered the death penalty, which is a detail the MC uncovers in a dramatic scene that then has no relevance to the plot and does not seem to meaningfully impact the MC or his relationships with relevant people.
Lastly, the truth behind the "aces" persona was not intriguing, full of plot holes, and, honestly, seemed to greatly underestimate readers' intelligence. The author's note said the author hoped readers picked up on the themes of racism -- I think it's impossible not to; I felt like I was being smacked upside the head with it every paragraph. I'm so so so so here for books that explore systematic racism and explore how institutions are set up to benefit white, wealthy, cis-het people (especially men), but, for me, this book didn't do that. Instead of contemplating how institutions, like education, benefit the privileged, I was focused on the (truly astonishing number of) plot holes and marveling at how deeply unrealistic the twist was.
I was hoping for a book with strong POC MCs, a nuanced discussion of racism and systematic oppression, and maybe a dash of thrill and romance. I got none of that. I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library and did not spend money on it.
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Hate crime, Outing, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Stalking, and Racial slurs
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality
rufaro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Medical content, Car accident, Hate crime, Homophobia, Slavery, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
alnotai's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Car accident, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
gabbadabbadoo'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Outing, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
powellki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder