sarahweyand's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
With that being said, I didn't really care about any of the characters. I felt like the most interesting aspects of the world and setting were overlooked. I thought this book was a 4 star read until about halfway through, but the plot started getting a little too repetitive. I'm already starting to forget a good portion of what happened.
Overall, not a bad read with some good elements, but not one I'd actively recommend.
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Animal death
asiamd's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Grief, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence
supergirled's review
Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
erinmjustice's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Ableism, and Child death
Minor: Pedophilia
kiacat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The characters are significantly more the focus of the story than the plot events. Chronister did do a nice job of weaving the threads of the plot together in the end, however. Very little actually happens over the course of the story from an action standpoint, but the depth of the leads makes up for this.
Magdala is an excellent main character. She is not your standard teenage end-of-days heroine gifted with assassin-like combat prowess — in the beginning, her plans are half-cocked, her gun is unloaded, and she has irrational moments of emotional typical of a girl her age. She gets people killed as a result of her naivety, her youthful selfishness. But Magdala is a survivor. She is tenacious and brave, and above all, she maintains her humanity, though she shields it under a grim practicality.
Arturo’s internal battles are poignant, palpable, and he makes a perfect foil for Magdala’s hope-filled, near manic religious devotion. Her desire to be healed at the long dead feet of a sharpshooter saint is the only thing that keeps Magdala going — there is no possible ending besides the completion of her pilgrimage. And, for her, there is no after. It is the sole purpose of her existence. Until it isn’t. By the end of the book, she started to take control of her own fate and faith, has learned and grown, while still maintaining the charm and realism of her many flaws.
While the world is fascinating and the prose lovely in parts, there was a lack of detailed descriptions to fill out the world. More time could have been dedicated to explaining the state of things after the collapse, the appearance of the monsters, and the nature of the desert sickness. Many of these unique, interesting traits felt underdeveloped or like an afterthought, which was disappointing as a reader.
Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, Animal death, Misogyny, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Pedophilia, Child death, and Sexual content