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sarah984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Dementia, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, and Medical content
tahsintries's review
3.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: Eating disorder
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
cover design review: ★★★☆☆. intriguing at first glance, i like the yellow background and the texture and shadows of the paint strokes within the face, but other than that it's eh. this is not representative of the book i just read
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
re: animal cruelty and death: it's insects if that makes a differencesolspringsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
And then we get to the big plot twist, and it just… completely lost me. It’s not that the plot twist was bad (and I even half-guessed it!) but it felt so unnecessary, like it cheapened so much of what made this book compelling and unique. Suddenly this book went from a well-crafted, layered metaphor about wealth, corruption, and family, to a schlocky thriller movie rated 64% on Rotten Tomatoes
I’ll read anything else this author puts out because I did really enjoy the majority of this book, but I’m beyond disappointed by the ending. (How can a plot twist both be predictable AND completely random? I wouldn’t have thought it possible until I read this book.)
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Islamophobia, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Minor: Addiction and Misogyny
lenaricharz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body shaming and Racism
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Eating disorder
n_asyikin_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Observational in her narration, Gwen was astute & had a propensity for speaking in analogies. Though often eloquent, the narration tended to meander at the beginning, making the story's direction unclear so it did feel unnecessarily verbose then, though it improved a quarter of the way through as more context were introduced.
Tsao addressed racial issues associated with being Chinese (a minority group) in Indonesia: dealing with prejudices & mistrust from the majority, considered to be a pendatang (an outsider). As a Malaysian, the dynamic was unfortunately, all too familiar; a remnant of the colonial strategy of divide-and-conquer persisted in our post-colonial society. I liked how Tsao depicted the consequence of our failure to address this, on the losses incurred if we continue to uphold this mentality.
The nuances of the depiction was critical. Though the racist system is attrocious, Tsao explored how economic class interacted with such system. Gwendolyn & Estrella both helmed from a rich background, hence, they were protected from the brunt of a racist system, easily finding sanctuary & opportunities elsewhere; something a non-rich Chinese Indonesians did not have the privilege to do.
At its core, The Majesties touched upon how the rich & powerful exploited racial sentiment to distract the "commoners" from the root cause of the issue: neoliberalism & feudalism. And through Gwendolyn & Estrella, Tsao showed how such realization beset them.
But before that, The Majesties depicted how they profited off & contributed to the oppressive system despite them calling out the racism they experienced. Basically, the racism experienced by the poor cannot be compared to the racism experienced by the rich. And the class difference was an act of oppression on its own.
The seemingly ephemeral categorization of ethnicity that depended primarily on physical features were also shown through
The Majesties was brutal in its honest depictions of the interplay between race & class. Focused primarily on Gwendolyn & Estrella's experiences, Tsao did well to include nuances into the complex interactions, making astute observations & doing so in an eloquent manner. Fair warning, for those who expect the story to focus primarily on the crime might be disappointed; the element of mystery was not on the discovery of crimes & motives, it was more on what might've driven a person to criminality with heavy emphasis on morality.
Regardless, Tsao's work will be a great source for reflection & contemplation for many SEAians. A highly recommended read, especially for those interested to engage in a critical read on sociopolitics in a fictional work.
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Racism
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, and Eating disorder
kikicochrane's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a slow burn and the lack of enjoying the characters for their personalities does make it feel longer than the book actually is. I agree with the other reviewer that the publisher did a disservice for this being categorized as a thriller rather than a family mystery saga.
Overall I enjoyed this read, the story came together at the end and the reason why Estella murdered her entire family became clear. I especially liked how Tsao was able to weave the story behind Bagatelle throughout the story.
Content Warning: Themes of domestic abuse primarily psychological and emotional are strong themes in this novel.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Dementia
Moderate: Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, and Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Racism
lou_o_donnell's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Car accident
annablume's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, and Grief
Minor: Addiction
sophiesticatedselections's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, and Religious bigotry