katierobertsonshaddix'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
5.0
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Drug use, Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Murder, Death, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse
lolajh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Spoiler
I loooooved Jordan in the original, and was really rooting for an eventual romance between her and Daisy in this đ« It fr would have been so perfect for Daisy to realise at the very end she didnât care for Tom or Gatsby and instead Jordan had been there waiting for her the whole time. They kissed and had such a homoerotic relationship already it would have been perfectSpoiler
Nick and Jordanâs relationship made me so mad it was so toxic and jordan didnât even really like himSpoiler
WHAT THE FUCK EVEN HAPPENEDSpoiler
A perfect explanation for her choosing to stay with Nick all that time while she internally complained about him would be that she was FUCKING IN LOVE WITH DAISY yet she never (properly) admitted that and instead just gaslighted Daisy at the end when they were so close to actually addressing their relationship. Even if they just remained friends, I wouldâve loved to see them have a happy ending together, even if Jordan had to go with her and Tom. I feel like the fight between them over Gatsby running over that girl was weird and Daisy was just obviously traumatised like everyone else was by seeing a dead body, especially when Daisy actually saw Gatsby kill them and then went through him dying as well.Spoiler
like a sapphic romanceGraphic: Car accident and Sexual content
Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Vomit
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Abortion, Sexual content, Alcohol, Car accident, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Classism, Death, Murder, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, War, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Homophobia
honeybeewitched87'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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Car accident
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Abortion, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Murder, and Racism
bessadams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Car accident, and Abortion
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Death of parent, and Death
itsheyfay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Classism, Racism, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Biphobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abortion, Sexual content, Vomit, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Cursing, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: War, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
lim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Infidelity, and Classism
Minor: Car accident, Sexual content, Murder, and Abortion
marleywrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was often left hoping for more of Jordanâs story, and was instead getting Daisyâs, which I didnât care for much but again, what else could I expect in a retelling? I thought Jordan was well written, a complex and intelligent character. I wish we had spent more time with her backstory. I felt she was often too forgiving of Daisy, but I suppose thatâs the point- everyone loves Daisy.Â
Things I liked about the novel include the queer representation, the way they were all interconnected (read: sleeping with) to each other, and the description of the parties & outfits, and the magic.Â
I wish we could see more of Jordan on the cover. I wish I could have seen her in her outfit choices. I loved reading about them.Â
Overall, I rated this book a 3.5/5. I wish the relationship with Kai had been more explored, and I wish I had gotten a better description of the magic Jordan and others can reform. It felt like an area that could have been expanded upon. The book was a bit slow, but the vibes were great so it was alright. I listened to this story on audiobook and it kept me engaged.Â
Spoiler
I felt like the ending took me by surprise. I felt like it undid Jordanâs character arc. I didnât see it coming it felt confusing as sheâd just harped on Daisy for murdering the woman. Iâm just confused by it I thinkâŠ?Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Infidelity, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Abortion, and Racism
Minor: Suicide and Gun violence
Racism is from external sources as well as internalized.leanne_miron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Car accident, Sexual content, Abortion, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia and Kidnapping
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
as many others have stated in their reviews, i didnât fully enjoy the magical elements. i think this was due to a lack of proper world-building at the outset. after immersing myself in one version of Gatsby so many times, i wasnât keen on blindly accepting the, at some points, poorly explained magic systems. however, the magic was sooooo cool and i wish these systems and histories would have been fleshed out so i could have bought into them with more enthusiasm.
the writing style, the pacing, the hopeful (yearning) conclusion were all extremely reminiscent of Fitzgeraldâs original work, and Voâs unique perspective on immigration, Vietnamese culture and community, and womanhood make this work really stand out. a very interesting book that certainly wonât be for everyone but definitely holds its own in comparison to other Gatsby retellings.Â
Graphic: Blood, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Classism, Drug use, Infidelity, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic friendship, Murder, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts