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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
apersonfromflorida'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
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape, Vomit, and Religious bigotry
have_a_doris_day'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? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War
erica_palmisano'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
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Lesbophobia
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and War
literarylion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
- A unique and refreshing take on historical fiction, especially medieval historical fiction
- Strong character development
- Groff's grasp of medieval verbiage and phrasing is precise but not overwhelming to the point of seeming cheap
- Extremely slow; frustratingly so at times
- The pacing and structure are a bit muddied; I wasn't clear on what separated each section from the next
- Pretty dense
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, War, and Classism
Minor: Rape and Alcohol
balth_the_chaotic_good'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
3.75
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sincerelyleah'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
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
ashareadsbooks'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Genocide, Torture, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, and War
lizzie_r'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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Ableism, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and War
caseythereader'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? Yes
4.5
- MATRIX is gorgeous, painful, and powerful. Groff's writing carries you along its current through Marie's ups and downs, power grabs and moments of softness.
- This book is an ode to matriarchy, female friendship and sapphic love, and how these support systems propel us through even the bleakest of times.
- Though at times the poetry of the writing felt like it kept the reader at a remove, I still felt deeply for these women, cheering their victories and mourning their losses with them. Even if you know next to nothing about Marie de France or Eleanor of Aquitane (as I did not) this book is still quite engrossing.
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and War