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bookswithcuppatea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I love El, her snarky, prickly personality and her deep moral convictions result in a lot of internal conflict which impacts how she responds to the other teens around her (since there are no adults in the Scholomance). This book and the first in the series, A Deadly Education, are great cathartic reads.
The main focus for El and her fellow seniors is getting ready for graduation, knowing they face getting through the enormous hall at the bottom of the school filled with vicious monsters (maleficaria). Six months of classes and six months of physical training ahead of them, there is little time for other thoughts.
But the school has more surprises in store, and has focused on El.
The ending sets up well for a third book, and I look forward to seeing the story continue into the world beyond the Scholomance, to see how adults respond to what has happened, and what the graduates do next.
One of my favourite things in this series is the role of languages. An international school for magical children from the entire world, it offers instruction in both English and Chinese, as well as subjects in many other languages. El can use 'the big 4' of English, Spanish, Chinese and Hindi, as well as having studied other languages. The difficulty of using a spell in a language you don't know well, and the extreme challenge of translating a spell into a different language are both so realistic, avoiding using magic as a solution as many other authors choose to do.
I enjoyed watching El develop friendships as well as gain better insight into other peers, and in particular enjoyed the challenge she faced in having homeroom with a group of 14 year olds who had just arrived in the Scholomance.
Moderate: Violence and Classism
ivi_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Classism
aleclikesbooks'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: Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Death of parent, and Murder
erikagibson126's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content
risaleel'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, and Classism
lisa_m'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
4.5
Graphic: Blood and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
blacksphinx'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
It's lovely watching our protagonist grow as a person, opening up, learning to ask for help, and forming close friendships with other girls. (The unexpected LGBT+ representation was a nice bonus!) There was at least one plot point in here that didn't really make any sense to me, but the emotional through line and building themes stop me from giving it less than five stars.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, and War
torturedreadersdept'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: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Dysphoria, and War
mythian'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: Child death, Death, Gore, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
squinnittowinit'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
4.75
4.75 for a couple very very minor annoyances:
When El and Orion get together, they keep saying they can't have sex because of the risk/lack of contraception. I don't like how this assumes that the only way for them to have sex is the one way that would pose that risk. There are plenty of ways to have sex and have a good time without any risk of pregnancy.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts