Scan barcode
chloebrandon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Torture
Minor: Vomit, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment
sophiesmallhands's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Deadnaming, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and War
kesreads13'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Torture and Colonisation
Minor: Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Blood, Islamophobia, and Trafficking
relin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment
Minor: Slavery and Trafficking
Religious differencescarrerabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
There are so many cute characters. I would definitely love if we got closer to the characters as I typically very easily and strongly bond with them, but I still really enjoyed the little family that was made from the core characters. They still grew and got to be vulnerable and show their love for each other throughout and it’s just lovely. The bits of eccentric personalities in many characters are very fun, and I hope to see them more. I love how diverse they are, culturally, personality-wise, etc.
I would say I overall enjoyed the pacing of this book. It definitely wasn’t slow, but it wasn’t running at the speed of light either. I think near the very end (like last 50 pages or so), I would have enjoyed it being slowed down slightly more, but that’s not to say it was a rushed ending by any means. Things were still wrapped up neatly and there’s room to expand the series if she chooses to! (Fingers crossed!)
Finally, I love the very subtle LGBTQ+ representation in this book. I think it’s so refreshing to see these treated not as a major plot point, conflict, or drama, but simply letting the reader know a little more about the characters and let it be normalized. Of course I love stories centered around queerness, but it feels great to just let it be included without special fanfare. For one character specifically (no spoilers) I absolutely loved the small reveal and just how perfectly it tied into the story without stealing any spotlight. Nothing is forced about it, nothing feels trope-y or stereotypical. It’s just people being people and I love that.
This book is great and I highly suggest reading it! I found it because I had read R.F. Kuang’s releases and saw she had reviewed this on the cover, and I’m so happy to have picked it up.
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Trafficking
fanboyriot'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gore, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Transphobia, Pregnancy, and Colonisation
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
violerwolf's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I do think the prose and framing narrative could use some work, and this book focuses more heavily on plot than character development, but I thought it was a fun read.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, and Death of parent
Most of the more troubling topics are part of the worldbuilding or characters’ pasts, not explicit parts of the story.tacochelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Slavery, Trafficking, and Religious bigotry