dumplingscomet's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
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? It's complicated
2.5
Pretty well-written and absorbing in its environment but I would definitely add to the reviewers who say that it feels kind of hollow to not have anything from Ysa's perspective that could explain her behavior changes throughout the book. The book was written 20 years ago, so there has been some changes to the way people talk about boys relating to girls since then but it still felt pretty insensitive to have graphic depictions of Ysa's body parts as desirable while she was being attacked or while the attack was being discussed. It also seemed like Thulani's motivations for feeling attached to his mother and his birds (as well as most of his other emotions) were not really fleshed out to be felt so it was hard to really feel attached to him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, and Death of parent
Minor: Police brutality
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