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corsetedfeminist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you’re keeping a spreadsheet, yes, this book also made me cry.
I’m not sure how to write a review for it, because it defies my normal method of writing reviews and I don’t want to spoil certain very startling plot points, but I shall try.
I really liked the growth of Harrow’s character in this and I found myself identifying with her a lot as someone who grew up in religion and then suddenly started deconstructing it all. The constant question of what is real or not in this book makes it both rather confusing to read but also riveting, and Harrow’s struggles with mental illness and hallucinations is handled realistically- gently by those who love her, and as another way to manipulate her by others. (Ianthe, when I get my hands on you, you’re going to regret being the surviving twin) I loved Harrow in the last book, but I came to love her even more in this one- she is deeply, deeply flawed, but also deeply broken and simultaneously trying to be better, even when her methods are… questionable.
The plot itself is complex and confusing, but also grabs you by the throat and drags you along in a way that cannot be escaped. I’m still a little unclear on all of the relationships that are detailed in the last few chapters, and I’m pretty sure I need a spreadsheet, but the story manages very complicated and obscure worldbuilding while preserving the atmosphere and drive in a way that keeps the story moving forward.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
charlieeew'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: Body horror and Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
kerrythefire's review against another edition
3.5
It was intentionally confusing for about the first 2/3 which, honestly wasn't a deal breaker for me because I picked up on the fact that I didn't actually need to be paying super close attention to try to make it all make sense or put the seemingly mismatched pieces together. The individual vignettes, as I'll call them, we're interesting enough to keep me listening as background noise, but I was really just waiting for when everything would be explained. That starts with the Epiparodos of Act IV and then Act V is basically where all the "story" actually happens.
The use of second person for some of the chapters was well done. It did lend to more of the exposition telling that weighed the book down, but it worked well for why it was being used in the story (which I guessed pretty early on, but if you didn't, I can see this making the whole first 2/3 even more confusing and hard to follow). In general, this book asked a lot of readers: it asked for you to wade through a lot of mystery and chaos for more than half the book to get to the real story, it asked you to keep track of multiple names for the same characters, it asked you to sit through a lot of telling vs. showing...
I did like the story overall, it just took too long to get there and we spent too long in the
The cover art is still 🔥 though!
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
isaaah'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 death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and War
krisalexcole'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: Death, Violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and War
kys_chai_and_books'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: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Abandonment
Second book in the Locked Tomb seriescuteasamuntin'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: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Medical content
thesunthesunthesunthesun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Sadly, I feel like the pacing was kind of off for this book. The mystery was held on to a bit too long for the payoff to really hit.
Also there were too many moments where things are either being told and not shown, or the scene is set up to Tell, and then there isn't even Telling.
As with book one, there were a bit too many memes / internet culture bits in it for something that's supposedly set in the distant space future
Other than all that I Did have fun and I liked the interactions between the characters and how a lot of the worldbuilding was set up.
Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
lunarkris'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: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
jennabean855's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
HOLY MOLYYYY