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vedpears's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
4.25
So glad I read this. Very quick read and very meta. I haven't come across many books that do a good job of wanting me to keep reading about a main character that I loathe but R F Kuang did it!
This is the first book by this author that I read but the voice is so strong and the story told so well, it has me very interested in their other works too, now.
The only reason it isn't a "5 star" for me is that I wish we got to know a little more about Athena & the times we are going through Twitter/ IG/ GR feeds seems a wee bit too much and neared the point that it detracted from the story being told.
I did skim through a couple other reviews that said Athena was clearly a stand in for the author and that was why they rated it so poorly, it really seems to underline exactly what the book was saying about Athena Liu and her detractors.
This is the first book by this author that I read but the voice is so strong and the story told so well, it has me very interested in their other works too, now.
The only reason it isn't a "5 star" for me is that I wish we got to know a little more about Athena & the times we are going through Twitter/ IG/ GR feeds seems a wee bit too much and neared the point that it detracted from the story being told.
I did skim through a couple other reviews that said Athena was clearly a stand in for the author and that was why they rated it so poorly, it really seems to underline exactly what the book was saying about Athena Liu and her detractors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Excrement, Grief, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail