Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

7 reviews

oxian_d's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.25

This book was the first book I've read with eagerness and excitement to finish and read the next after hp, mazerunner and shadow & bone book series. It had been so long that I found all the good and interesting things in a book. The mystery, the drama, the history, the magic, the color of it all so enamored and intriguing for a YA book to read. 

It's more than a fantasy, more than a myth, it is magic and alchemy of words fused in this book. The book cover itself is fascinating and that's how I was drawn to it, from the cover to the title then unbeknownst to me it was a treasure to be held. I got emotionally entwined and time passed around me, but not so much as forgetting. It was strange like the character himself but beautifully strange in ways one would surmise otherworldly enthralling and captivatingly breathless that I finished in about a week. Really a masterful work, excitingly scary, heart wretching, breaking and maddeningly brilliant. It was poetic and magically made, never have I read a nov l like myth so beautifully wounded and bound. The ending is to be continued and I can't wait for more. Kudos to the author for seamlessly concocting magic, myth and science with grace. You truly are the weaver of alchemical words in music, color and dreams. 
Can't wait to read the next and more of your work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

arlaubscher's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

laurence19's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

kylemhaggerty's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Colonisation

carolined314's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Enjoyed this one a lot, and also it really missed the mark with racism allegories and some odd depictions of trauma. I am also soooo tired of the magical orphan saving the day by being fancy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Xenophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy

panickedhonking's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

momo916's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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? No

4.5

This book is beautifully imaginative and yet depicts such horribly strife and tragedy. Taylor sucks you in with a wonderful fantasy world that is as complex and torturous as our own. She hits the mark where I've felt Erin Morgenstern falls flat. There are so many echoes of the history of American colonialism and slavery in this narrative, but it very much has a life of its own. I'm eager to pick up the second book but also apprehensive because I'm fairly certain it's going to rip my heart in two.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Slavery, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation