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booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kel's voice is consistent with the first book. She sounded a bit older than ten there and now she actually is, so it's a benefit to this story even if it didn't quite fit the first one. The story could mostly make sense to someone who hasn't read FIRST TEST, since the harassment and bullying begun there continue here in a form which is easy to understand even if its origins were shown elsewhere. Happily, the friends she made before continue here as well, with the welcome addition of Owen to their group. It also focuses on Kel's perception of her training and the differences in her body as becomes a teenager. This gets the room to be a fuller story and slightly less of an anti-bullying PSA, while still having enough of that for continuity. The slight reduction there is made up for in discussions of sexual harassment and self-protection, as Kel teaches Lalasa to defend herself from unwanted advances. It's a bit coy about exactly what Lalasa fears, and my one worry would be that it's only helpful to a reader who doesn't need things explained in the first place.
Overall it feels like this book is doing more work for the quartet as a whole than it is for itself as a volume within it. The plot that's mostly unique to this volume has to do with Lalasa, but even that story is of Kel trying to prepare her to defend herself and then it not being enough without Kel's help. Having read later books before, I know that even this incident is part of a broader conflict spanning most of the series, which means that the main conflict is a continuation of things begun earlier and finished elsewhere. That's fine for the second book in a quartet, it's common for book two of a series to have this feeling, I just wish this book had more that was its own.
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, and War
rini's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse
house_of_hannah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Kel has changed a lot physically throughout the book, but mentally she seems just about the same. Since hitting puberty she is noticing her feelings towards men more, and how they act around her. I imagine as she gets older it will be a subject that is brought up more.
I am quite surprised at how many friends, both animal and human, she has. I honestly thought she would have more of a struggle with fitting in, but she's actually popular and well loved. I am glad the author gave her a flaw that comes up often, fear of heights, because otherwise she would be perfect.
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, and Kidnapping
victorianrogue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Sexism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death and Vomit