Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

242 reviews

lisalenton's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

Very easy to read, quite predictable.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

withlivjones's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • 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

4.25

A gorgeous, steamy, messy, emotional read about love and grief. I loved Feyi’s character, how she’s so straightforward and to the point with everyone she talks to and how she uses her grief to power her art, and I really felt for her with everything that happens/has happened to her in the story. I do wish we got to see more of Joy and had her character be a little more fleshed out, but I understand that’s hard to do when she’s on Facetime for most of the book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

batbaby's review against another edition

Go to review page

Just had no motivation to find out more about the characters
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

leatherlee's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Up to this point, I'd have said Akwaeke Emezi was one of my favorite writers but I had to force myself to finish this book. Whereas their other works were weird and fantastical and riveting, this one was just not interesting to me. A big part of it is that I am apparently always annoyed by romance genre, even if it's thoughtful, (nominally) queer, and written by someone whose other works I adore. 

As a "queer" novel, I feel especially let down because the sex all is very heteronormative. Nothing especially interesting to me personally about a conventionally attractive cis-het couple pairing. The fact of their queerness is downplayed which was a missed opportunity. Bisexuals having unconventional sex could have been explored to great effect and would have probably merited at least one more star from me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

illustratorsoph's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

4.5

I loved this book. I found it hard to get into at the start, but purely because the pages are very dense with text. 
This book address grief, loss and trauma brilliantly and the fragility of falling for someone you shouldn't. A person that truly understands that individual and what they've been through, shares their own trauma. Hot & intense build up throughout, so amazingly written. A great book! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

felixmarauder's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written and gripping. My only complaint is that I wish Feyi and
Alim's
story was more developed. That we saw more of what makes their relationship tick, outside their shared experience of grief. I really enjoyed the descriptions of her art, her artistic process, and would have loved to learn more about that, even though I know it's not necessary to the story. The queer representation was a beautiful example of inclusion without exploitation and avoiding the common tropes and clichés. Very well done. I was entranced throughout, and I would have happily read another hundred pages to flesh it out more. I will be hunting down more of Akwaeke Emezi's books because I love their writing style. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

readingwithgoose's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Absolutely floored by this book, by its unflinching perspective on love and grief and how we can keep living through any kind of mess. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

em_h_ma's review against another edition

Go to review page

inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

The story was rich, opulent, hot but I hated the main character so much. Even with all the reasoning, I just couldn’t get behind her actions. The story was quick and easy to read.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kyleethecatlady's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It was pretty good! Moved slow at some points where I skipped some pages, but I was invested in the story, so I read to the end. Very interesting and unique story. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings