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rednikki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I generally bounce off books where all dialogue is paraphrased, but I was very interested in the period and the setting so I gave it a go. And man, I wish I had not. Most of the characters have very little personality, and they can be identified either by a skill or a deformity. (A couple of characters have Exactly One Quirk. Someone is very rude! Or someone is insane! Or someone is always very sweet! But only a few characters have a personality trait.) As a result, I mixed up the characters a lot.
The author lingered on gruesome death a lot. I get it, "it's 1183 and we're all barbarians!" (to quote The Lion in Winter), but it kind of felt like torture porn.
There were still interesting aspects to the book, and it would probably have been a 3.5 from me if it weren't for the last five pages.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and War
eliya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It took me 15h 21m technically, with the Libby app open whether or not I was actually reading.
I’ve never read a historical fiction book for me, and the beginning was a little slow. Once it picked up, the pace ebbed and flowed, and, I began to appreciate how beautifully it is written. So many passages that I want to keep and remember forever, the word choice and the poetic cadence of Lauren’s Groff’s writing is best described by a friend of mine as “delicious.” absolutely.
I love women and I’m so glad I read this book even though this book is way smarter than I will ever be. Gonna go finish weeping now.
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
careinthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Mental illness, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, War, and Injury/Injury detail
edamamebean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
deebee223'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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, and Dementia
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and War
laurajeangrace'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
3.5
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexism, Violence, and War
ciaomara'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Death of parent
isabelgalupo'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
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry and War
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
It is hard to put into words why Matrix was such a joy to read. This book contains so much and does it all so well. Gorgeous prose, religious fervor, heartbreak, revenge, lesbian sex, labyrinths, boundless female power, divine visions, sisterly solidarity, and passionate love.
If you like historical fiction or strong female heroines (or both!), I implore you to read Matrix.
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Rape