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nightstitch96'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Ableism, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
annakh16'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Deportation
There are hints at child sexual abuse (by a priest), experienced by the character Connor, but this is never made explicit or discussed in detail. There is attempted sexual assault. There is also a memory of Theta being assaulted by Roy, written in second person (as in, you the reader feel like this or that)._haggis_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Deportation
maddiereadswords's review against another edition
4.5
This doesn't have the same creepy, haunting vibes as the first two books, and the two parts feel a little more disconnected to the point where I almost wish it had been two separate books (mostly because the back half in particular is so fast-paced and plot heavy that it really loses that spooky edge, and also partly because I selfishly can never get enough of these characters.) This is easily the darkest and most "adult" installment so far, and while it doesn't hit quite as hard as the first two for me, it's still an absolute powerhouse of a book that drags me through the full spectrum of human emotion every time I read it. <3
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, and Deportation
rainbeauregard'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, Child death, Death, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Deportation
This book is worth a read but it has a LOT of potentially triggering contentallisonsmith120's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Antisemitism
Minor: Medical trauma
larareads'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
peytonktracy'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? Yes
3.75
But the bulk of the marks against this book was how much I wished for some content warnings. This book took a turn for the serious (not that it hasn't always been serious) but several caught me completely off guard in vulnerable moments because they came with so little warning and one in particular put me off continuing this book for a month or so. And at the end
All this to say though, I've already checked out and started the final installment and had no qualms about doing so. I'm ready to GO.
Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia and Slavery
emilyplun'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Death of parent, and Alcohol
claudiaswords's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Probably my favourite part of this book was the "found family" trope finally coming together, since in the two previous books the group hadn't fully formed yet. I loved the relationships that formed and how they came to be, nothing felt forced on the characters. Most of all I loved the character development. I didn't love Evie at first, she seemed to me a bit too much at times and in the previous books I wasn't so interested in her story as much as that of other characters but in this book I came to absolutely love her. I think she might be one of my favourite characters in this series right now. Sam, Memphis and Theta are close seconds (I would give my life for all of them). I loved how their stories where developed in this book as well. I do wish we had gotten more Ling and Henry development but they were the focus of the last book (Lair of Dreams) so I understand why they were a bit more in the background this time around.
The ones I haven't mentioned yet are because they are a bit more delicate to handle in my opinion. Mabel and Jericho. Mabel had me on my toes during this whole book. She was a character I really liked in the first book, I related a lot to her, and I still did in this one, but I saw her going in a direction I didn't like. However, by the time the ending came around I completely understood everything she had done in this book was for a reason, that it was necessary for her growth and I appreciate it. Jericho I don't really know what to think of, he changed a lot in this book and I think I have to wait until I read the next one to say what I think about those changes.
All in all this was a wondeful read, I haven't given it 5 stars because the beginning felt a bit slow for me, but once the pace picked up it did so wonderfully and didn't drop for a second. I must admit some parts of this book had me tearing up and wanting (needing) to hug the characters.
All in all this was a very very good read and has finally confirmed Libba Bray as one of my favourite authors.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Antisemitism, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Slavery, and Medical content