maddiereadswords's review against another edition
4.5
This doesn't have the same creepy, haunting vibes as the first two books, and the two parts feel a little more disconnected to the point where I almost wish it had been two separate books (mostly because the back half in particular is so fast-paced and plot heavy that it really loses that spooky edge, and also partly because I selfishly can never get enough of these characters.) This is easily the darkest and most "adult" installment so far, and while it doesn't hit quite as hard as the first two for me, it's still an absolute powerhouse of a book that drags me through the full spectrum of human emotion every time I read it. <3
Spoiler
Also shout out to Ling Chan for being so autistic that she accidentally bypassed internalized homophobia, and to Miriam Lubovitch and Viola Campbell for being such milfs that they keep adopting fucked up children like Pokemon despite being held captive. I love women.Graphic: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Ableism, Antisemitism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Animal death, Violence, Alcohol, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
Moderate: Classism, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexual content, Dementia, and Sexism
rainbeauregard'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: Death, Classism, Body horror, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Medical trauma, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, War, Violence, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Ableism
This book is worth a read but it has a LOT of potentially triggering contentallisonsmith120's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Antisemitism, Sexual content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Domestic abuse, and Rape
Minor: Medical trauma
larareads'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia
peytonktracy'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? Yes
3.75
But the bulk of the marks against this book was how much I wished for some content warnings. This book took a turn for the serious (not that it hasn't always been serious) but several caught me completely off guard in vulnerable moments because they came with so little warning and one in particular put me off continuing this book for a month or so. And at the end
Spoiler
Bray decided to go all George R. R. Martin/J. K. Rowling in Deathly Hallows on us and just murder like four people in the span of a few chapters that was a little surprising and unexpected.All this to say though, I've already checked out and started the final installment and had no qualms about doing so. I'm ready to GO.
Graphic: Death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Colonisation, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia and Slavery
emilyplun'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: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Police brutality
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Slavery
claudiaswords's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Probably my favourite part of this book was the "found family" trope finally coming together, since in the two previous books the group hadn't fully formed yet. I loved the relationships that formed and how they came to be, nothing felt forced on the characters. Most of all I loved the character development. I didn't love Evie at first, she seemed to me a bit too much at times and in the previous books I wasn't so interested in her story as much as that of other characters but in this book I came to absolutely love her. I think she might be one of my favourite characters in this series right now. Sam, Memphis and Theta are close seconds (I would give my life for all of them). I loved how their stories where developed in this book as well. I do wish we had gotten more Ling and Henry development but they were the focus of the last book (Lair of Dreams) so I understand why they were a bit more in the background this time around.
The ones I haven't mentioned yet are because they are a bit more delicate to handle in my opinion. Mabel and Jericho. Mabel had me on my toes during this whole book. She was a character I really liked in the first book, I related a lot to her, and I still did in this one, but I saw her going in a direction I didn't like. However, by the time the ending came around I completely understood everything she had done in this book was for a reason, that it was necessary for her growth and I appreciate it. Jericho I don't really know what to think of, he changed a lot in this book and I think I have to wait until I read the next one to say what I think about those changes.
All in all this was a wondeful read, I haven't given it 5 stars because the beginning felt a bit slow for me, but once the pace picked up it did so wonderfully and didn't drop for a second. I must admit some parts of this book had me tearing up and wanting (needing) to hug the characters.
All in all this was a very very good read and has finally confirmed Libba Bray as one of my favourite authors.
Graphic: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Antisemitism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Racism
Minor: Homophobia, Medical content, and Slavery