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clacksee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This story features both a cat and a dog. One lives, one dies. The death is off-page and non-graphic, but traumatic nonetheless.
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse
grunbean's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The idea of a queer nun detective is fresh, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I think the religious trauma and exploration of what it’s like to grow up queer in these communities was interesting. But these didn’t really have much to do with the story of THIS book. A lot of the book didn’t have much to do with the story and mystery. I don’t know whether I’m not smart enough and I didn’t pick up on all the clues, or whether the answer to the mystery was shoe horned in at the end.
I found myself questioning the choices of the characters a lot. Not because they’re bad, but because their choices just didn’t make sense to me in the context.
Given that this is a series I feel like more time was spent on building up this world and characters for the series than on the story. It sort of felt like the author remembered there was a mystery to answer at the very end. It gave me whiplash, but not in the ‘oh my gosh I don’t know how I didn’t see this coming’ way. It was more of like ‘was I meant to see this coming’ way. If that makes sense.
There’s a lot of promise and the writing is beautiful in places. The author definitely has a flair for description. There’s a lot of promise, but it doesn’t deliver here. I will be picking up the next book in the series out of curiosity.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
tarasoraptor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Will come back to review in more detail if I can.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
runningonwords415's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, and Medical content
iasmy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The mystery is very cliché, and the characters are one-dimensional. The thought that enrages me throughout the book is the glorification of being in pain and suffering. Her fetish, because I am sure that our protagonist is at least partially into BDSM, is used to justify abusing kids.
Two of the more memorable incidents are making kids practice guitar until their fingers hurt so much that they complained to the principal. Even our masochist mother superior decided she went too far and punished her. The punishment was in fact enjoyed by our protagonist, who lamented that one of the kids who went to the principal was anonymous. I wonder why, since our protagonist is so nice and caring toward disabled kids and not at all ill equipped to dialog with them and out to get them.
Our lovely nun also beats a disabled foster kid to encourage him to tell the truth, and when he, rightfully so, wants to tell on her, she responds that nobody would believe him. I wonder why foster kids can’t get out of the system. Not to talk about the double standard, she was way gentler with the kid who has a family, was actually present during the first incident, and had bigger secrets. I wonder why that is.
The constant mention of pain and suffering as a good thing, backed up by church talk, was infuriating but not surprising, and the author seemed tune-deaf as to the consequences of her words. Our sadomasochistic protagonist should have gone to therapy instead of becoming a nun; she would also have learned to explore that part of her personality in a safe way without taking it on the kids.
What enrages me
Graphic: Violence and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, and Police brutality
lambkm's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Self harm
cheeseplant111's review
- 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
genuinely so intriguing loved the story and the prose
only complaint is that the end felt rushed and if it was missing something, could’ve been a bit longer i felt. somethings didn’t get resolved
however i loved it def would read more
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Infidelity, and Rape
bmbriar's review
- 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
3.0
I did enjoy Holiday's relationship with Riveaux, and the overall plotting picks up towards the end, but the ending nonetheless felt rushed, with characters' attitudes towards each other turning on a dime.
Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
mlovesbooks'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: Animal death, Homophobia, Rape, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Outing
Minor: Forced institutionalization
aliciavalenski's review
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury