Reviews

Rache im Herzen by Xiran Jay Zhao

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ciera's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

copenhag's review against another edition

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4.0

Shit got real fucked up in the last third of this book tbh

But it was also very confusing towards the end

slayerfaith's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Amazing book with evocative writing, compelling characters and interesting plot. I was able to predict one of the "twists" at the end, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story in any way. Looking forward to the sequel!

Content Warnings

hannahbeereads's review against another edition

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3.0

The plot of this is compelling, but the pacing, particularly in the back third, felt very off. The character motivations and reactions didn't feel consistent, either. The worldbuilding was interesting and made me want to read more. Still want to read the sequel, but was hoping for a bit more from this book in the end.

aagigas's review against another edition

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3.0

This general tone could probably best be described as "feminine rage". Every time I thought it would fall into the YA tropes that always bother me and have me rolling my eyes, Xiran Jay Zhao took the direction 180 degrees. I appreciated that a huge amount, because just when I thought the story would become predictable it kept me guessing. No real morality to the characters, just pure survival.

The style of writing took me a bit to get into, and the internet culture peppered through it pulled me out from being immersed a number of times, but overall I definitely enjoyed this book!

"Become their nightmare."

evagachus's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was simply fantastic and one of my favorites of the year. There were a few aspects to the book, the characters and the love "triangle" that differentiated it from other YA fiction novels that I really appreciated. I love that, for once, a book that promised a strong female lead actually delivered on one! Zetian is one bad ass, and her story is nothing short of amazing. I really enjoyed the entanglement of the characters and the world it plunged me into. Reminded me of a cross between Hunger Games, Ender's Game, and a special flare that Xiran Zhao got just... Right!