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incendiofawkes's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Stalking
cheazcakeguy'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? Yes
2.5
I only finished this because I read it for a book club. Way too much unnecessarily explicit SA & pedophilia (just because it's "historically accurate" does not mean I want to read full details of a 14-year-old being r*ped by someone twice her age), characters were mostly one dimensional and often more like caricatures, and the pacing was uneven. The plot and the character Philip were the only things keeping me going, as it is ultimately a good story. The descriptions of the cathedral and the building process were also great. However, all of the tension and story beats ended up feeling super repetitive and recycled, and for the last couple hundred pages I was rolling my eyes at the dramatic twists and turns which felt contrived and meaningless at that point. I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately it was unremarkable. Hard to recommend, unless you like to read soap operas with one-note characters and you're okay with repeated graphic SA. I suppose if you *really* like drama and architecture, and have extreme patience, this is the book for you.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse and War
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and War
sleeppyyhead'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: Rape
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Stalking
flowerowl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
marcery199's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Stalking
Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent
seanml's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Excrement, Islamophobia, and Cultural appropriation