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ghostlyprince'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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Deportation
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Blood, and Alcohol
chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Racism
thesapphiccelticbookworm'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? It's complicated
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
thedambookshelf'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: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
cosypuck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
dsarbear's review against another edition
The Characters: Seemed interesting at first, but are kept at arms length and the plot moves so quickly that you never really get to know them. One strength of the book is that the familial bonds seem very established. They definitely feel like a real family, even if they aren't given enough time in the story to really react to the things that happen to them.
The Sex and Romance: There were also constant small graphically-described sex scenes tossed in that felt awkward and strangely clinical. Reading them reminded me of the discomfort of watching a sex scene with your parents. Even when they were short I was relieved when they were done, and I always felt like a little gross after reading one.
Body Horror: This is pretty minor and probably won't affect many people, but about halfway through the book 3 of the main characters end up with magical "gifts" that manifest physically on their bodies. They are described as basically becoming parts of their bodies and the characters react with pain when those parts are tugged/attached. There are also a couple of scenes where other characters attempting to touch the magical body parts is likened to sexual assault.
If you want to know what the body parts are they are
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Body horror
ericageorge91'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
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia
ladybeldaran'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? Yes
4.0
The story is told in two timelines. The past is told through Oriquídea's perspective, beginning in her early years and progressing closer to the present. The present is told through 3 different perspectives, all Orquídea's grandchildren.
The plot is essentially a mystery. Who is Orquídea? How did the home and her power come to be? Who or what is haunting her? The present timeline uncovers this as the grandchildren finally get to know their grandmother, in ways they never could when she was alive. The timeline from the past grounds their discoveries, adds context, makes her real.
It is an altogether excellent book, with a lot to say about family and about trauma.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Colonisation, and Classism
madmantha'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
I’ve now reread it multiple times and enjoy it more and more each reading. It’s such a poetic and circular story.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Medical content, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
readsandsuch'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury