Scan barcode
cnaccarato'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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
melissaslibraryy'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: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Sexual content and Xenophobia
ghostsversion'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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror and Torture
Minor: Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and War
moonchild_cos'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: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Body horror, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
jessiereads98'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
3.75
Chloe Gong once again nailed it with the setting and atmosphere of 1920s Shanghai. I loved how she tracked the shifting the politics and atmosphere of change. The pacing in this book is great. I also just love a fantasy novel set in or based on 1920s East Asia.
The characters were well done and compelling for the most part. I feel like we got a good amount of time with all the side characters to experience the world outside the view of the two main characters, without it feeling like it detracted from the story or was a waste of time. I actually wish we had gotten more time with Rosalind. I think the story would’ve felt more complete, and she would’ve been a great counterpoint to Juliette had she been more fleshed out. I was left with questions at the end around her character and motivations.
Once again, this book is a bit overwritten. There’s metaphors and heavy handed setting descriptions that are unnecessary. Some of the dialogue feels forced rather than natural for the characters and their setting. There are a few moments of cringe, but it isn’t enough to make the entire book off-putting.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Police brutality
mpbookreviews'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
5.0
Moderate: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
valeria_balzan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
All of her hard work and setting in the previous novel was a good foundation for this novel, and I dare to say that it was better than the last one. The prose of the author was just excellent in the telling of their forbidden love story against their feuding families.
It's more negative aspects are the very thing I criticized on the last one and that is that sometimes the prose get's lost on the action and it's hard to know what is happening.
Overall I think it is a very solid book. l loved it.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
It's a war, what did you expect?nehanaomi'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail