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khiwords'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I wasn't crazy about the magic system.
Which we don't find out if it gets closed or not, or if Gatsby faced any repercussions for stopping the parties after he reunited with Daisy.
I also wasn't a fan of how Jordan essentially took on Nick's whole of being the observer. Yes, I expected that since it is the Great Gatsby and Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom have always been the most thrilling part of the original story. But this retelling was marketed as Jordan's coming of age story and I didn't feel a real connection to her until chapter sixteen. Which isn't a good thing because this book has twenty-three chapters... Like Jordan was still likable and intriguing but I was more invested in Daisy's life.
My favorite thing about the book has to be the relationships between the characters.
"Don't tell anyone," she pleaded, and I decided to pretend she said thank you.
In this retelling, Vo made Nick and Jordan's relationship much more romantic.
Jordan and Gatsby's relationship was also really good!
Vo has a beautiful writing style. All her sentences are chocked full of imagery and figurative language. I was left breathless by how she strung together descriptions, more than once. She definitely captured the vibe of the original classic. One of my favorite lines was:
She said things, they lit up gold in the air, and then they fell to nothing like so much cigarette ash.
... he looked at Daisy as if she were his heart left his chest...
Lastly, the queer aspects of the book were handled very well. Jordan's attraction to both men and women was treated as valid; her romances felt tangible and real. Like anytime she had a thing with a woman it wasn't fetishized in any way. Nick and Gatsby are queer in this retelling as well. I liked how Vo doesn't ignore the fact that homosexuality isn't accepted in the 1920s, but at the same time, she doesn't dump a bunch of trauma onto us. Instead, we see queer characters loving privately yet fully and joyfully. The Cendrillon was everything. My only complaint is that we should have seen more of it.
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Death
moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Car accident, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: War
taylor_annotates's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Abortion, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse and War
Minor: Sexual assault
audeira'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Racism and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Car accident, and War
olivia_piepmeier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
After reading this, I feel a little salty Jordan got such minimal air-time in TGG. Fitzgerald wouldn't have done her justice like Vo, though, so it's okay. Just like TGG, everyone is a mess. Truly. They're in their 20s and Gatsby is not but he's hella obsessive. Mistakes are made left and right. It ends in a way that I feel hope for only Jordan, out of all these characters. Unfortunately, part of the reason why she's on to new things is due to a super racist legislation that was passed. Jordan's racial background is not the focus of her character, but it's a facet that is mentioned just enough to help the reader understand how she viewed herself, others viewed her, and how she played a part in this different version of the 1920s.
Overall, a very satisfying read! It was fun to go back into a new and improved world of TGG.
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism and Car accident
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Murder, and War
vitacat11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Kidnapping and War
circe813'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
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Racism, Xenophobia, Abortion, and Alcohol
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Vomit
forbearance'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Abortion
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident and War
lotten4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Gun violence, Vomit, Alcohol, and War
aardwyrm'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Car accident, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and War