Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Stardust

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

13 reviews

louiepotterbook's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Would be so much better if it wasn’t written by this author

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rehtaehwashere's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What I liked: I LOVED how this was pure fantasy/fairytale. It was well written (ofc it was it's fucking Neil Gaiman) and everything the characters did had a point/appropriate reaction from others. I liked that everyone
going after the star
had a well-defined motive.
The king who knocked it from the sky wanted the correct heir; the sons going after the star wanted to BE the heir; the witches wanted their youth back. The main character wanted to impress a girl in his village that he thought he was in love with.
I loved that the plot came full circle at all points.
The witch cursed a sister witch to never recognize the star and when the witch was desperate to find her this curse fucked her over big time. That main character did find a girl he loved, it just wasn't the one he thought. That he didn't force her into the town and kill her even without knowing that would happen simply because he respected her wishes to not enter town. That when the male heirs all died pursuing the star, the slave girl the main character's dad impregnated in the beginning was revealed to be the only daughter of that king and thus the throne still had an heir. That the main character was the first heir to find the star but for completely different reasons than his uncles.
I like that all the story lines tied in together and that all the characters came across each other without really necessarily realizing it and that it was wrapped up neatly in the end the way a fairy tale is.
What I disliked: I disliked that the main character's dad
cheated on his wife for a one night stand with a cat-themed slave girl
that really grossed me out. I also didn't like that when our main character realized the
star was a woman,
he was still incredibly willing to kidnap her. I don't like that she was so willing to forgive him for that. It fits the fairy tale theme but also feels like it damages her strong character a bit.
Overall thoughts: Really cute story, that's fun and lighthearted and has some great character growth all at the same time, with story lines that fit together amazingly. I feel like the fae fear wasn't as big as it was implied with the guards to the town with everyone willing to go to the fae market and risk it all every 10 years but to be fair, I get it. It's like the one exciting thing they get.
Recommend to a friend? Y 100%

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soggycedar's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

"I no longer have a name. I am a slave, and the name I had was taken from me. I will answer to 'hey, you!' or to 'girl!'or to 'foolish slattern!' or to many another imprecation.
Dunstan noticed how the silken fabric of her robe pressed itself against her body; he was aware of elegant curves, and of her violet eyes upon him, and he swallowed."

Very inappropriate reaction to learning that someone is enslaved.

"His hand felt her small breasts through the silk of her dress, touched the hard nubs of her nipples. She clung to him, hard, as if she were drowning, fumbling with his shirt, with his britches.
She was so small; he was scared he would hurt her and break her... had he known her name he would have called it aloud. ...He squeezed her small hand in his."

Focus is entirely on the fact that she is tiny and frail and a stranger to him.

That doesn't even include the entire premise of the book: a different man enslaving a different tiny woman, who then falls in love with him based on nothing more than his bad treatment of her, and her forced proximity to him.

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