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eddieboy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Moderate fatphobia and some… very of their times representations of the kind of setting the main character is from. But it’s great to see howl and all the other characters featured in HMC again
Moderate: Fatphobia and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
vi_frt's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Strong points: humorous and whimsical, engaging enough
Weaknesses: some parts of it are problematic, specifically the descriptions of the initial arabic-like setting and some recurrent fatphonia that had me cringing.
It does not match its predecessor but it is still a fun read, if you can look past the problematic bits and also how much of a giant dummy Abdullah is.
Weaknesses: some parts of it are problematic, specifically the descriptions of the initial arabic-like setting and some recurrent fatphonia that had me cringing.
It does not match its predecessor but it is still a fun read, if you can look past the problematic bits and also how much of a giant dummy Abdullah is.
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Animal cruelty
dokushoka's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexism and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
pocketspoon's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
The author clearly had fun turning arabian-nights-like tales on their heads a bit, and it is definitely fun and clever in some ways. However, there is a lot here that is really problematic, not least of all the general and persistent misogyny of the main character. I'm afraid that learning to love one smart, capable woman doesn't make him not sexist. In the very last pages he is giving away his (previously extensively fat-shamed) relatives as chattel to the villain. But it's okay, because he's handsome and actually wants them because they're not uncooperative like the kidnapped princesses, so they're into it?!
I also find it annoying that the Howl's Moving Castle characters all have babies in this book, as if that's the only possible progression of a young woman's life/story. You could explain some of this away as "satire, not endorsement" but this is a kids' book, and kids don't get sattire; they're going to see women being constantly compared to each other (and generally criticized and found wanting) by the male protagonist, who is pretty unlikeable and shitty, but is still somehow the hero of the story. He rides in and attaches himself to the escape plan the princesses were already working on, and then one of them has to agree to marry a slimeball just so he won't eat them out, and the men get all the credit for the rescue. And a bunch of other toxic stuff.
I also find it annoying that the Howl's Moving Castle characters all have babies in this book, as if that's the only possible progression of a young woman's life/story.
Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and War
digni's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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? No
4.0
A very very enjoyable book to read overall. There were moments that did irk me. But it was very entertaining and I did enjoy it a lot.
Graphic: Fatphobia and Misogyny
Minor: Animal cruelty
poirot's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal cruelty and Physical abuse
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