paulibirisqui'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
This book deserves all the praises and success (may I say, even more) that's having. Do not be intimidated by it, the language used makes it much easier to get engaged with the story.
The academic side is brilliant. The conversation and discourse surrounding translation, languages, imperialism and colonialism, and the relations between them, is sublime. It's incredibly well developed and carried through the whole book.
The dark side is nice. Especially towards the end, even though there were always small hints.
The characters are amazing, being Victoire my favourite. The different perspectives they have make their relationships richer and complicated. I saw someone saying they were unidimensional. I can not disagree more. They have elaborated feelings and unique ways of facing issues. However a valid criticism is that their union is more said than showed.
Nonetheless this was an amazing read, I heavily recommend it.
Spoiler
I loved Griffin so much, I wished he had stayed longer :'(Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Hate crime, War, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Slavery and Physical abuse
abbeyreadthis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, Classism, and Colonisation
Minor: Death of parent and Death
bibliochica's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, War, Classism, Sexism, Violence, and Death of parent
yorozuya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Slavery, Bullying, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Racism
asifsyed'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Slavery, Misogyny, Grief, Drug abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Torture, Police brutality, War, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
julieyael's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What made me rate 4 is the world building around silverwork and the translations.
I am naturally in love with languages, ethymology and linguistics. So to have them at the center of a fiction book was a dream come true.
What I liked about this novel:
- the general theme
- the reasearch done by the author to give a good foundation and credibility to the world and story
- the academic settings, with lots of details
-the footnotes, which may seem too much explanation but actually give the reader a nice idea of the background and the events on the side, without adding to the actual text of the story.
- the general writing (it was my first book by this author)
What I thought could have been improved:
- the characters are a bit shallow to my taste. It’s hard to relate and find a coherent personnality in any of them. I love a good character, but these all seem more like quick steches rather than full illustrations, if you understand what I mean.
Some of them are just names thrown at you, and some important characters don’t seem to have a clear purpose.
- the redundance of making the point that « white men are evil, colonization is bad, all people have rights ». Yes, it’s important and it’s a main theme of the novel.
But once the author had explained that once, she could have been more subtle in the 500 other following pages. The point is made clear, but it’s the way she does it that feels redundant and sometimes a bit condescending.
- there were some lengths in the middle of the book, but I am happy that the ending turned better. (Even if some things feel a bit too easy)
To conclude this rather long review: I am glad that I read this book, but not sure if I would read it again (it was more than 500 pages, and with some flaws)
I may have been slightly generous on the rate, so I might reconsider in a few days when the dust is settled😁
Anyway, I strongly recommend the reading, it’s worth the read, even with the imperfections😊
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Grief, and Toxic friendship
shayminxcx's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
I have a host of mixed feelings about the direction in the final part. Also, unless we’re being set up for a sequel from Victoire’s perspective, I feel that the audience could have been clearly told if the strike or resulting log of it had any impact.Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Torture, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Slavery, War, Classism, Death, and Grief
rcd229'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: Colonisation, Murder, Xenophobia, Racism, Misogyny, War, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Religious bigotry, Classism, and Slavery
Minor: Suicide and Addiction
signeskov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Torture, Misogyny, Colonisation, Child abuse, Blood, Sexism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Grief, Racism, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Addiction
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, and War
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Moderate: Police brutality, Torture, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Islamophobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: War, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment