kadtide's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Torture, and Animal death
Minor: Gaslighting and Infidelity
maryellen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
laurajones's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Torture, Animal death, Child abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, Abandonment, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Adult/minor relationship
booksthatburn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Time for the sequel check! This entry relies heavily on knowledge of the first three books in a way that sometimes is wrapping up hanging threads, and sometimes is transforming our understanding of things we thought were resolved already. It does have a storyline which starts here and wasn't present previously, and the most major one was introduced and resolved within this book. It's not the last book and it specifically leaves a bunch of things to be answered later because they're too much to wrap up neatly here. The MC didn't change, and her voice is consistent with the previous books. This is the first time in the series where I can definitely say that it won't make a lot of sense without having read the previous books. It's a "series so far" climax, relying heavily on events from the first and third books, and lightly on the second. While the main plot could make sense without the other volumes, the tension won't be as high and the resolution won't be as satisfying without knowledge of ROSEMARY AND RUE and AN ARTIFICIAL NIGHT, at minimum.
There's still random sprinklings of ableist language, much less than in A LOCAL HABITATION, but not quite gone yet. I've heard it gets better on this front, so I'm watching for that turning point.
As an individual story, this one is fine, but as the next entry in this series it feels very pivotal. I'm very excited about certain interpersonal developments in Toby's various friendships and found-family relationships, and the resolution was satisfying as well as indicating a clear thread for later books to follow.
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Blood and Self harm
Minor: Ableism, Vomit, and Animal death
CW for ableism, confinement, vomit, blood, self harm, violence, murder, animal death, major character death, death.rubyhosh's review
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Death and Blood
yarnycharlie's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood