praisethee'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: Bullying, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Hate crime, Murder, Outing, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Genocide, Gun violence, Death, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, Torture, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, and War
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Prose: 3★
Pace: 4★
Concept/Execution: 5★/4.5★
Characters: 3.75★
Worldbuilding: 4★
Ending: 3.5★
Graphic: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Violence, Deadnaming, and Vomit
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Self harm, Cursing, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Outing, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Genocide, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Racism
brynalexa'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Dysphoria, Genocide, Deadnaming, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Colonisation, Cursing, Confinement, War, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, and Alcohol
mixmousereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Deadnaming, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Genocide, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Kidnapping, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
emjams'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: Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Child death
Moderate: Xenophobia, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical content, Abandonment, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Outing, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Alcohol
This book has basically every imaginable TW on it EXCEPT for sexual assault, but even that is briefly touched on. Benji has trauma from assault, but only from physical/emotional abuse, not SA.errie's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Animal death, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Vomit, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, Transphobia, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Violence
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Genocide, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Body horror, Transphobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Vomit, Gun violence, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Grief, and Dysphoria
Minor: Sexual content, Ableism, Racism, and Alcohol
justmehayleyb'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
5.0
Graphic: Deadnaming, Confinement, Child death, Bullying, Homophobia, Grief, Gore, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Death of parent, Genocide, Gaslighting, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Body horror, Self harm, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, and Blood
theooooooooo'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
4.75
(Possibly spoilers but very light)
1. The writing
So I feel like this is equal to the writing of the invisible life of Addie larue which is my favorite book I've ever read. It is beautiful, the way the author blends religion and brainwashing into Benji's inner thoughts is so so well done. I can't really describe how raw this book gets you can tell that these are things the author has been through or experienced as a trans person it hit very close to home and to be completely honest this book was was tough to get through but I don't see that as a bad thing this book showed transphobia and bigotry in it's rawest purest form and it is beautiful done.
2. The characters
I can not praise this book enough for the representation, it is just amazing. You have a trans character main character, an autistic character, a trans person who uses neo pronouns (which I have never seen in a book before, and so much more. Benji feels like a real person he feels like a person that could stand in front of me his emotions are so tangible I could feel them this goes back to the writing but still. The only complaint I have is the romance felt a bit underdone or not completely don't get me wrong I love Nick and Benji but I feel like we didn't spend enough time to build up that relationship.
3. The world building
Ok so this section is why I have this a a 4.8 I don't like the world building because to me it just doesn't make a ton of sense, we have a bunch of kids who have been living in a random LGBTQ center for what two years? How did they survive? They say in the book it was luck but we literally see dead people hung up and gutted like 10 minutes away from them??? And where is the rest of the world??? Why isn't the military here? If your saying that the cult killed everyone how? I know there are graces but they honestly expect me to believe that those creatures who are taken down by bullets can survive the us military or any other large countries military? I would understand if they said we have the government under our thumb or something along thos line but they don't! Other than that I really like the idea of the graces and sephera literally a monster consuming you from the inside is such a cool idea!!! Horrifying but so cool!
All together I love this book I wish more people read it and I hope that the author writes more stories in this world I want to know more about this world I really do!
Moderate: Mental illness, Deadnaming, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
uniquelymace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Excrement, Deadnaming, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, War, Vomit, Violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Death, and Gore