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orchidlilly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
3.25
Pretty good, I really like the time travel aspect. I've always loved stories that have this kind of interconnected non-linear time travel narratives. That being said, I do miss Calvin as a character, I feel like more could have been done with him in this and the previous books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse
Minor: War, Ableism, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit, Blood, and Forced institutionalization
shieldbearer's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
So, this has one thing the other two installments do not: the racism. It's a shame, L'Engle could have easily tried to angle more for a "nurture over nature" tale by leaning into the O'Keefe angle, but it's clearly the nature, not nurture, that is key to this narrative, favoring blue-eyed Welsh ancestry over the indigenous people. It also contradicts the other two installments on a thematic level- the entire second book was centered around a strong theme of "Where doesn't matter" and yet where very much matters here in this book, to the point that Calvin and Meg's strong kythe apparently has no bearing on the plot and she can't reach out to him in London. While the plot is well written and constructed as always, the racism is the literal linchpin of the story. You will miss nothing by skipping this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Ableism
Moderate: Murder, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
the pedophilia/incest is from a scene when an abusive step-father harrasses his daughter by pinching her rear.
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