Reviews tagging 'Death'

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

14 reviews

smellymiche's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Self harm

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, War, Toxic friendship, and Confinement

applesaucecreachur's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Yet another dose of topical anesthetic to my aching brain, Specials was rife with action and drama, much of which was deliciously forgettable. Tally Youngblood is now a Special, which means that Young Adult's favorite narrator took an angry left onto the Dark Side. I'll allow that her character arc did hold my interest throughout the book. Westerfeld's decision to change the primary setting and narrator tone with each installment of the Uglies series is almost bold. But overall, it is difficult to maintain a connection to the main character when the supporting characters are constantly shifting.

Spoiler

Shay and David both, for example, seemed to hardly appear in the second book, while Zane was absent from this one while Shay took center stage and David swept in at the very end.

Adapting to a change in tone and setting is far more difficult without consistent characters. This was my second greatest gripe about the book, and it resulted in a lack of capacity to empathize with

Spoiler

Zane's death

. My greatest gripe?

Spoiler

The author's weird insistence on using self-mutilation and disordered eating as tools to get "bubbly" or "icy" or whatever the fuck.

Anyways. Extras, let's see what you've got. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Death, and Violence

Minor: Racism and Eating disorder

a_wren_that_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Violence, Self harm, Ableism, Medical content, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death, Terminal illness, War, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Body horror, and Classism

Moderate: Blood and Addiction

Minor: Alcohol

cow_inthe_closet's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Confinement

Moderate: War, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

delvainy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m rereading all the books I own, and this one was the hardest for me to read out of this series so far. I know that it was important to the plot that her brain was wired to see herself as better than everyone else, but it was still slightly difficult to get through because of that. However, it was an interesting story, and I did still generally enjoy reading it. I’m going to keep this book as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, Self harm, and Ableism

larvapuppy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief, Police brutality, Violence, and War

Minor: Body shaming

bboshart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

I definitely liked this book the best of the series so far, but I didn't care for the last two chapters. I wish there had been a bit of a different end to Tally's storyline.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Confinement, Violence, and Death

Minor: Blood, War, and Toxic friendship

alicelalicon's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Death

goldsbuc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Body horror, Medical trauma, Confinement, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Blood and Death

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

I’m so glad I decided to re-read this series. I’m so thankful for the experience of getting to share it with my partner. 

It’s such an inspiring read for 2022. I’m shocked at how timeless the story feels but yet at the same time so relevant to nearly everything going on today. 
Climate change, capitalism, bodily autonomy, gaslighting/abuse, mental illness (especially due to unstable political environment), prejudice, and so much more. 

I’m still convinced Westerfeld knew that Tally and Shay’s relationship leans very heavily in a queer direction. I really REALLY hope they make the screen adaptation more inclusive of queer and other marginalized identities. And thoughtfully, not just for “woke points”. 

Besides some ableist language throughout the first three books and those couple slur slip ups in the second book, this is definitely still one of my favorite series of all time. 

So much fun to read, can’t wait to re-read Extras and then to move on to the new material. 🤗

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria and Self harm

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Police brutality, Self harm, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Ableism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Xenophobia