directorpurry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Violence, Ableism, and Medical content
beforeviolets's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I think if I tried to state all my thoughts about this book, it would end up as a 20-page essay. All you need to know is: this book was pitched to me as <b>sapphic dark academia Macbeth</b>, and it delivered! It's not a PERFECT book, but Macbeth is one of my favorite plays and a lesbian retelling will certainly make me easy to please :)
TW: there's a LOT. most of them are already in Macbeth so expect a lot of similar plot points.
TW: there's a LOT. most of them are already in Macbeth so expect a lot of similar plot points.
Spoiler
outing, homophobia, homophobic slurs, ableism, fatphobia, racism, bullying, murder, blood, violence, gore, death, drug use (consensual and non-consensual), alcohol, vomit, car accident (past, brief mention), fire/fire injury (past), panic attacks, schizophrenia/psychosis, self harm, suicide, toxic relationship, also be aware that the setting takes place on an old Southern plantation so there's a history of slaveowners that is discussed quite a bit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Vomit
Minor: Car accident, Fatphobia, and Slavery
sarah984's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a YA retelling of Macbeth set in a prestigious private high school. I was really impressed with the ways that the author managed to tie Macbeth into the modern-day setting (though naming the football field Dunsinane was a bit much), and some of the scares with the ghosts were great.
However, most of the characters were pretty shallow (they definitely felt like identities first and characters second), the plantation stuff felt unnecessary since nothing was ever really done with it, and the ending was kind of silly. Also, this may be shallow but the main character Maria was called "Ree" by all her friends and it really annoyed me. What kind of nickname is that? Who would use that to shorten Maria??
However, most of the characters were pretty shallow (they definitely felt like identities first and characters second), the plantation stuff felt unnecessary since nothing was ever really done with it, and the ending was kind of silly. Also, this may be shallow but the main character Maria was called "Ree" by all her friends and it really annoyed me. What kind of nickname is that? Who would use that to shorten Maria??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Biphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child death and Slavery
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