dame_samara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Well then this book is the book for you!
Mina is so incredibly tenacious while also being so incredibly caring towards those around her. I loved her so much.
Shin and his friends have a really interesting dynamic, in how they treat and respect each other but also how they respect Mina and her choices. *chefs kiss*
Then there are Mask, Dai and Miki whose storyline brought me to tears.
This book also has some really gorgeous scenery descriptions, that do honestly feel like they could be something out of a Miyazaki Movie.
TLDR I will be shoving this book down everyone's throat for the foreseeable future, and is likely one of my favorite books ever.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Alcohol and Blood
aexileigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Murder, War, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
sarah_speaks'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
chrisljm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Child death, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Blood, Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Classism, Alcohol, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
eatingbrains's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
While I agree that the premise is reminiscent of the movie Spirited Away and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (two things I enjoyed thoroughly), it was very much written for a YA audience. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think the main difference between YA classics and contemporary YA is that the classics are written to be understood by younger audiences but will still have a broader appeal.
At the end of the day, this one missed that mark for me. It was very much full of emo, cringey moments, insta-lovey when I could have sworn they were initially portrayed as enemies. The pacing was bizarre and very jarring (which could be attributed to a dream-like quality, if I was being generous). Situations were convenient when needed to be, and I often had to suspend my disbelief to continue reading. Lastly, the characters were lacking development and the repetition got old (referring to all of the grandmother's grandmother bits, and so many sentences starting with "But").
Minor: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Miscarriage, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
bookishflower's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Alcohol and War