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tomime's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I enjoyed the premise of the book as I don't come across many books with a circus as its main setting. Every character was likable and the writing style is easy to get into but it is, per my taste, a little simplistic since I enjoy very descriptive and metaphorical writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the world the story is set in. It plays in this steampunk-like world with an interesting cultural history and how the current population deals with the remnants of this old civilization. Though my one problem was the pacing. It felt fleeting but little was happening. It wasn't necessarily boring but neither was it super exciting. The book got more interesting in the 3rd half, especially the last 40 pages. I found that many of the plot important scenes were just briefly mentioned and then not brought up again.
This is a very solid debut novel. Makes me curious about her next novels and how she's grown as a writer. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a fun circus setting, an LGBTQ+ main character, some mystery, and a little fantasy.
This is a very solid debut novel. Makes me curious about her next novels and how she's grown as a writer. I would recommend this to people who enjoy a fun circus setting, an LGBTQ+ main character, some mystery, and a little fantasy.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Deadnaming, Blood, and Classism
rowanrelph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
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