Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

31 reviews

minzekatz's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

applesaucecreachur's review

adventurous funny tense fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

Readers seeking reinvigoration of their love for YA need look no further: Six of Crows is rich with classic tropes and fresh takes on a heist plotline. Granted: I am a sucker for anything that tosses in the found family trope, and was willing to make begrudging peace with some of the more Eurocentric and heteronormative aspects of the world building... Unfortunately, not enough peace to avoid a quick rant about it here:
We have the Russia-inspired Ravka, Nordic-laced Fjerda, Irish-bred Wandering Isles, and of course, [Amster/Ketter]dam in Kerch. The Grishaverse's map is rich with fantasy takes on real European nations. For the rest of the world, we've got Shu Han to represent China and Mongolia, and the New-World-esque Novyi Zem to play the role of colonized nations like the Americas and Australia (according to a ScreenRant article). Asker of pesky questions that I am, I wonder why Bardugo chose the nations that she did to tell her story, why some were cherry-picked over others, and why some nations (the reader can decide which) feel alive with history and which feel like knock-offs of the aesthetics of old empires. "Write what you know" is sage advice, and I wish Bardugo had followed it better with her non-European-inspired nations; either do your research or figure out a better way to represent different peoples. What we are left with feels cheap and low-effort.
*Ahem*, I digress. Six of Crows is a witty book whose rapid pace made me feel like I was being charmed and swindled by its unforgettable crew members. And while taking a breath between knife-sharp plot points, I got to swoon over the little romantic subplots.

Kaz and Inej's teases at love have me yearning for the next installment.

I was giggling and grinning and kicking my heels in public over this book. It's earned my four stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Death of parent

fightmeimsmall's review

adventurous dark funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, and Classism

mckiheather's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

a_islandcriptid's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

bookishperseus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

cnjg88's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

cnjg88's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail

joeyl22's review

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

_13stars's review

adventurous funny 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Cultural appropriation