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takarakei's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A story that weaves together between chapters in the past and present all surrounding the life of Indigo Maxwell-CasteƱada, told from her husband's pov and her childhood friend in the past. Very atmospheric and character driven, the plot is really just the mystery of Indigo as a person being unraveled. Super creepy, eerie and unnerving at parts. Like being in a nightmare (but it's not horror persay). I found I really couldn't put it down!
It's rather a hard book to describe, so if the synopsis sounds good I recommend you try it!
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, and Medical content
thoughtsontomes's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, and Blood
paintedgiraffe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
BIG WARNING: All the relationships in this are toxic and are not to be envied/emulated.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Classism
angelmoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, and Blood
shubka's review against another edition
- 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: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, and Sexual harassment
gracescanlon's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest and Violence
jeyjeyyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
lou_loo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We follow the story from the point of view of the Bridegroom and Azure.
This story is beautiful yet terrible; it is fascinating and disturbing; scary and haunting. It feels like a fairytale, like a story of magic and fantasy, but it is also a story of abuse, neglect and manipulation. We never know if what we are being told is real or not. We hope it is only magic; if it is not, it's horrifying and scary, showing us how terrible the world can be. If it is not magic, it is gaslighting, abuse and manipulation.
Azure's mother once told her:
"If she kept you around, she would break you into little pieces. You'd never be able to put yourself back together."
Azure found herself stuck somewhere between magic and reality, between the world she wanted to discover and the world Indigo wanted her to stay in.
Roshani Chokshi is an amazing writer, her prose is gorgeous and poetic; she keeps us hanging on a thread for the whole book and each time we think we'll understand the secrets, we find ourselves going deeper and deeper without seeing how it could end. The characters are complex and intriguing, I loved the meaning and role behind each character and how they represented archetypes from fairytales, and the personification of the House of Dreams was the completion of the ambience, it let the eerie vibes be complete and transported us into this mysterious world.
The best way to go into this book is knowing as little as possible, and I'm glad I picked it up ignorant.
This book is a 5/5 star and I'll remember this story for a very long time.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
sappix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis