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bee_a_friend's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and War
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I like stories with kids uncovering forgotten histories and secrets, especially in this place with its feeling of being a forgotten land. Don't like the manic pixie dream next door, but hell it was written in the 90s I'll cut it some slack. I judge books by their covers and I bought this as a teen because it was beautiful. The book itself is nice, fine. Feels like a debut novel. So much of the backstories being told in the form of dialogue instead of just switching perspectives to tell the story in the past took me out of it. If I'm thinking "People don't talk like this!" whenever I read something, I know I'm taking points off. I don't like how quick the ending was, but only because you didn't really get to sit with the main character and the titular character after the mystery's been solved. So it's a fine book like it's okay. It's whatever. I'm being harsh. It's alright.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and War