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acozypumpkin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Torture
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, and Classism
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is set up to have at least one sequel, though its particular story is self-contained. Rather than leave an obvious story hook open, it ends with the characters in new situations which grant the possibility of future events without demanding any particular follow up.
I love Penn and Raff, I like them as individual characters and I enjoy how well they work together. They each have very different relationships with their families. Penn seems to be close with two of his several siblings, despite neither showing up for very long. His father is terrible, rather unambiguously playing the villain. Raff has close and mostly loving relationships with his sister and brother, and, despite their differences, they seem to understand each other fairly well. Not much is shown of Raff's relationship with his father, but what is there seems to be filled with respect and care.
Other things I love, in no particular order: how much of the time is spent just traveling and sleeping in the woods and dealing with inns; the wound care towards the end of the book; the way Penn obviously grows as a person; the more subtle ways that Raff starts to trust in other peoples' competence.
This was great, I want more, and I'm eager for the sequel.
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
wildatheart1339's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Medical content
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, and Classism
ezwolf'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This is one of those cases where I think it's just not for me. I cannot exactly explain why this didn't grab me, the best I can say is that I found it boring. I wasn't drawn to either Penn or Raff and so it made it hard to be interested in either point of view. By the time the story got to plot points I would have been interested in (like Penn's scars) I was 50% of the way through and I was already just reading for the sake of finishing the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Grief
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
clairew97'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: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism