Scan barcode
embee007's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I feel like there was a bit of a lull towards the end? Or the action was weird? Or maybe that was just me. (first full book I read with Covid) But the ending mostly made up for it. I'm definitely interested in reading book 2, at some point this year.
"There’s freedom in stories, you know. We read them and we become something else. We imagine different lives, and while we turn the pages, we get to live them. To escape the lot we’ve been given.”
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
andr901i's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking
enbae'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, and Injury/Injury detail
decembera's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Mind the content warnings. This was significantly more graphic than I expected from a YA book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Lesbophobia, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
alli_andrews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
xoemax'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
4.25
This book covers some amazing social topics, and in my opinion has some great LGBTQIA+ representation, intersectionality, and an exploration of gender diversity/fluidity. I appreciated the nuances and consideration with how Florian/Flora was written, with varying pronouns depending on context/viewpoint. I think it's important not to get caught up expecting characters to always have everything figured out from the start, especially when they themselves are coming to terms with and discovering their own identity. So for me this felt like a very wholesome, honest and positive exploration of how it feels to explore gender and sexuality as a young person.
The book is relatively fast paced, I will say. And from that I can see where the criticism of the story and characters feeling unresolved by the end comes from. I like to think I have an active imagination, so this I'm lucky wasn't too much of a deterrent for me. Part 2 of the book in particular with
Overall: an enjoyable and fun read, with the beginnings of some great world building, emotional, and featured themes I'd definitely like to read more of.
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Gore, Homophobia, Slavery, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Abandonment
warlocksarecool21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
and I also want to know what the fuck was up with the witches. like you can’t just say there’s witches and not explain them or where the magic comes from. I didn’t mind the magic of the sea being kind of mysterious because no one truly understands it anyways but I wish there was some foundational explanation of the world history and magic system bc the information we got was kind of vague.
I know it sounds like I hated this but there were some fun elements to this story but I was ultimately a little disappointed.
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Abandonment
kananineko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I still think a lot of people will love this book, though. If the description sounds interesting to you, go for it!
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Outing, and Alcohol
ettegoom'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? No
4.0
The author laid the whole: colonialism is bad, and gender diversity should be normal on pretty thickly. I still enjoyed it though, and found myself rooting for several of the characters.
A nice book for teens.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Rape
kibberbl'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Homophobia