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chococheesecake's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
jansonjan's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My biggest gripe is that I found I didn’t really like any of the characters, at all. Their flaws were their entire personalities. The book would tease some sort of meaningful development or something interesting to happen between them, only to fall flat. Barely any side characters interacted meaningfully with one another if it did not involve the wet paper bag that was the MC, Mae. I feel that many of them had so much more potential than what we saw.
However, Considering that Mae is an unreliable narrator, it makes sense that others would be boring or their flaws highlighted. I found Mae to be just so bland. She lacked any depth to her person and I got the sense that she talked a lot about wanting to be a certain way, but made no meaningful moves towards that goal. I wasn’t really interested in her or her quest to find self confidence and magic. Her refusal to be truthful with herself was annoying by the end of the book. I was constantly confused and again kind of annoyed by the clunky love triangle that meandered and felt pointless given the ending.
The world building could have been fleshed out, I think the story would have benefitted from a bit more detail put into the locations and buildings on the island. The magic system was compelling and I would have loved to learn more about it. I’d love to have had some background story about the magicians, their schooling and the origins and types of spirits. This was all glossed over.
I am a sucker for anything art deco inspired and loved the aristocratic elements. Despite the above, I actually really liked this book and its premise, I just wish I liked the characters more.
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
girlonbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🎆🎆🎆🎆 Four Stars (as rated in the fireworks at midnight)
On an island where the magical family Prosper rules supreme, “mousy” Mae is regarded as an outcast and even a nuisance. Known for her meek and eagerly obliging nature, all Mae has ever truly wanted is to be accepted by the family she depends on and to learn the magical skills for which they’re known the world over. On the eve of the summer solstice, Mae stumbles on something that could very well be her ticket into the world that’s always shut her out. With her days on the island numbered and her options limited, Mae is determined to finally take what she’s always wanted. But this magic comes with a price that Mae isn’t exactly in a position to pay. At least, not without a little help…
“I had finally realized how little I could wring from the Prospers by trying to please them. If I wanted more, I would have to take it.”
Real Talk: Shakespeare’s The Tempest is just not that great of a story. The thing drags, the characters are tiresome and forgettable and I always leave it wondering what the actual point of it was. Understandably, I went into Bright Ruined Things (being a retelling of the former) with very low expectations. Its predecessor just doesn’t have that much for one to work with. So you can imagine my utter delight at what this turned out to be. Cohoe has taken one of Shakespeare’s most lackluster comedies and exponentially improved it by –*gasp*– turning the thing into a tragedy! What island magic is this!? BRT is the ultimate glow up for what is an otherwise pretty uninteresting story. So here I say, “Samantha Cohoe, if you’re reading this, what are the chances of us being gifted another Shakespeare retelling by you one day? And would you consider doing The Comedy of Errors next?”
✨ Read this book because: you’re into books set in the 1920’s, flawed characters, complicated friendships and love stories that aren’t at all what they seem – or even what you wanted them to be.
✨ Content warnings for this book: bullying, neglect, threats of sexual violence, adultery, abuse, imprisonment, kidnapping, trauma, fire, death, enslavement, gaslighting, toxic relationships
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Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail