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regans's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality
ms_sarah621'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism and Police brutality
Moderate: Slavery
tahsintries's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Police brutality
Moderate: Hate crime, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Infidelity
tostita'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Classism
Moderate: Gun violence and Abandonment
Minor: Slavery
nini23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.25
Each member of the heist team is given an intro with background, their particular talent. With chapter headers like 'The Actor,' 'The Musician,' 'The Thief' one can imagine an Oceans Eleven style focus. All of them with the exception of Zelda have made a deal with spirits called Enigmas such that they have a Charm (special talent/magic) and Trick (curse) each. Clara is both a scryer and seer, with the ability to peer to the Other Side and summon Enigmas. Her curse is in facilitating Faustian deals between the desperate humans who seek her help and the often conniving Enigmas. Clara's particular Charm is not revealed till the very end.
In the action scenes, I would have liked more non-standard descriptors and less stock phrases. At times, the way a scene was set up did not sufficiently build up tension eg. when Clara and Israel pretended to be Afflicted and were bundled into a truck.
Character-wise, Aristotle and Jesse Lee felt indistinct. Part of Jesse Lee's backstory is like Fifty First Dates. Israel is obviously the hot sexy male lead, his appearance and descriptions a Harlequin romantic hero. Clara especially in the team meetings seems to be ornery for the sake of being ornery, I'm not really on board the narrative of how she just wants to be helpful. I don't understand why protagonists always have to be so morally 'pure,' never craving power or being 'selfish'/ambitious for once. Clara doesn't want the all powerful object- the ring to control all.
The Monsters We Defy does not shy away from addressing head-on colorism and classism within the Black community. It's also fascinating to read in the Author's Note that Duke Ellington contributed to the fund of Carrie Johnson and intellectual greats of that time such as Du Bois are also mentioned.
Thanks to Redhook Books for providing an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/29/police-defund-abolition-mariame-kaba-andrea-j-ritchie
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/8/29/the-blue-wall-of-white-supremacy
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Classism
booktribe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Police brutality and Abandonment
Minor: Miscarriage
ninjamuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Moderate: Slavery and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Abandonment