thumbeleia'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
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Body horror, Gaslighting, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, War, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Car accident, Colonisation, Deportation, Child abuse, Self harm, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Hate crime, Alcohol, and Infertility
sa_er's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Slavery and Child abuse
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Genocide, Medical content, Car accident, Confinement, Medical trauma, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: War
Spoiler
Sibling Deathjasmineslibraryy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Child abuse, and Slavery
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
part of the plot is a pandemicreddeddy'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: Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Ableism, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Medical content, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Blood, Child death, Gore, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
Minor: Gore, Misogyny, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Murder, Drug use, Slavery, Torture, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Infidelity, Racism, Trafficking, and War
sofiya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Not sure how I feel about the storyline as a whole- it just seems like a lot? I guess that at the end of the day, it's about the hostile relationship between Earth and the Lunar people, but there's a lot put into it that made it difficult for me to grasp. Saying that, I'm not really a sci-fi enthusiastic, but I think that people who are could really like this book.
My biggest critique is that I'm not a fan of the big "plot twist" of a book being obvious to the readers and not to the MC- which happens with a few different things. I was getting frustrated with Cinder for not realizing what was right in front of her, while also acknowledging that we see a lot more than she does. Still, I'm excited to continue with the series and see where it goes.
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Slavery, and War
christinastuart26'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: Terminal illness
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: War
maria_pell'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: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Medical content
Minor: Excrement
kthedestroyer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's not that I don't like it because I really do (I mean, 4 stars is still a lot) but there is just something about it that I don't get as emersed as I should have.
It honestly might be the pacing. I feel like it's too fast and too slow at the same time. Everything happens so fast so you can't get to know the characters well enough but then again it seems like some scenes take forever.
Maybe it's something about the fact that Cinder's 16. Look, I have nothing against 16-year-olds but there's just no way that I wouldn't break under pressure 2 years ago if I was in her place. When I look at those kids now, I feel like it would be even worse.
I also think that Peony's death came too soon. I mean, she was in the book for like 50 pages and Meyer was just like: "Okay, time to die biatch." I feel like this is why I didn't really care about her death. Sure, Cinder's reaction was devastating but then again, we kinda forget about it right after that scene is finished.
I also miss my girl Iko for the majority of the book. Adri, I hate you for what you did. It's your fault that our fairy godmother is absent. You shall suffer (this is what we call foreshadowing).
It's getting a bit too negative in here, don't you think?
I thought so.
Okay, I know. The romance between Kai and Cinder is very convenient but I crave it. This whole book could have been just a back and forth conversation between them and I would love it. It's a sugar bomb and anyone who knows me would probably question if it was really me who wrote this review when I told them that this is the main reason why I like the book.
Sorry, I lied. It's not the romance... it's the SASS and Iko's hilarious comments.
Firstly, we have Cinder's sass which is not visible that often but when we get her snarky comments, my day instantly gets better.
Secondly, Iko is hilarious. I love her and her obsession with shoes and dresses and Prince Kai. I would love to see more of her in this book (I, again, blame Adri).
And of course, the star of the book... Prince Kai. That man is playing with his life. Levana is a ruthless queen who shows no mercy and this idiot of a man still shoots some very ironic or sarcastic comments even though she would probably want to cut his head off.
Pure gold.
Also... the ending is heartbreaking. I kinda want to kill Kai for the words he said to Cinder. The sass saved him this time but still. This is why I still prefer Thorne over Kai.
Marissa Meyer is most definitely one of my top 3 favorite authors but it shows that this is her first (I think) published book. Fortunately, it only gets better from here.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
empathephant's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Excrement, Dementia, Violence, Slavery, Vomit, and Car accident
A pandemic that causes nearly death threatens the world. The plot takes place under the looming threat of war, centering on trying to prevent the war. Main character is an orphan, living in an abusive adoptive family.