Scan barcode
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Vomit, Islamophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
hellichipmunk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
samugranjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Genocide, Blood, and Alcohol
ceruleanshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
however, i can see how some readers don't like the second half as it slows down in action, but underneath it's an emotional build.
i think overall this is a very solid addition to dark academia. honestly still processing that last 10% ðŸ˜
def check TWs
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction
bilal_shumuus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic
mirandyli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bookswithlauren'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
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
devirtualized's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
megnut'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? No
4.5
It's philosophical about languages and tactics of struggle... while also anchoring them all in (modified) history.
There's a lot going on, but it's one I'd like to read again to really consider what is shared.
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug use, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
koiolee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment