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uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Vomit, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
meg_elyse'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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Deportation
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Colonisation
nicole1832's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The three point of views interested me at first, but by the end of the book, I was only interested in one of them. Caroline's socialite life felt vapid compared to the hardships Kasia went through, and reading about Herta became uncomfortable by the latter part of the book. I had a hard time understanding how Caroline's and Herta's POVs justified their presence in the context of the overall story, which was at its heart really about Kasia. (Side note: the cover of this book is *very* misleading. It implies that the three POV characters eventually become friends. That is very much not the case.)
The book seems to want to be an examination of the emotions of these three women, but it always seemed to back away when things got most interesting. This was clearest in Herta's POV - she went from being horrified at what was happening at the camps to being complicit in it at what felt like breakneck speed. I understand not wanting to delve into a Nazi's POV, but if you're not going to fully explore it, why bother giving her a POV at all?
Meanwhile, Caroline's behavior and attitudes toward her romance arc were hard to understand. Her arc became frustrating to read toward the end and ultimately felt unnecessary. And Kasia had problems with PTSD and anger later in life that were glossed over and ultimately resolved in a way that felt insultingly simplified.
On top of all that, the writing felt trite and amateurish, easy to read but ultimately failing to create any kind of mood. (And this book had some of the dullest hetero romances possible.)
I was interested in the first half, simply because WWII stories, and stories about the horrors of the concentration camps, will always be powerful. But the importance of the historical subject matter is really all the book has going for it, in my opinion.
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lavenderlilacs1912's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Caroline Ferriday's former summer home is now a historic house museum, and my workplace. My rating comes from the fact that I read this for work, and while it was very well-written and a good read, it's not the type of book I'd normally go for.
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lisbethleftwich's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
mktaylor15'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Grief, and Medical trauma
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
iconoclasticgentleman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Definitely picked up once I got 1/3 of the way through or so. Caroline Ferriday seems like an amazing woman, but her romance with Paul was the weakest part of the book.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Self harm, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt