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libellumartinae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Alright, they got me.
I love Eastern Europe fantasy because it has such an unhinged and folkloristic vibe to it and it represented it down to a t and although I still don't know what truly this book was about (but I can wholly appreciate the beauty of the whole world-building and magic system) I can't help but ugh... absolutely love the journey that it brought me through.
A few problematic: the characters aside the mc were quite forgettable, the parts not being divided in chapters were a tad too much at points and finally the mc constantly being called out for being the best was just ugh a tad too much.
I love Eastern Europe fantasy because it has such an unhinged and folkloristic vibe to it and it represented it down to a t and although I still don't know what truly this book was about (but I can wholly appreciate the beauty of the whole world-building and magic system) I can't help but ugh... absolutely love the journey that it brought me through.
A few problematic: the characters aside the mc were quite forgettable, the parts not being divided in chapters were a tad too much at points and finally the mc constantly being called out for being the best was just ugh a tad too much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
curiouscat26's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sasha has always grown up relatively happy, alone with just her mother. But her mother has fallen in love again, and Sasha is drawn inexorably into a mysterious institute in the village of Torpa, where students break themselves studying...what, exactly, will not become clear until their third year. Always a star student, Sasha and her classmates face challenges none of them have ever seen the like before. This book is both deeply eerie and breathtakingly relatable as someone who went to an all-too-intense top college.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence
A character is forced into prostitution offscreen, the protagonist hears the story secondhand in not-very-much detail.mandkips's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Ableism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“What a depressing way to go through life, hoping for ideas.”
I am still not sure about the rating but wow, this book was an experience
I am still not sure about the rating but wow, this book was an experience
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Ableism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
mmirjamm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Suicide attempt
giucrisostomo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book felt like two in one. On the one hand it was a fascinating, fantastical story about a young woman joining a school not completely of her own free will, but finding her true self there. On the other, there was a panel of insufferable high schools students riddled with societal injonctions and prejudices. It made me quite uncomfortable, reminding me of my own high school years. I wish that the characters had been more nuanced to echo the beautiful complexity of the main part of the novel, which is about this strange institute and what it teaches. That side of the story had a dream-like quality. It was quite compelling!
PS: there wasn't a shred of representation but I don't know how inclusive Russia is in general so I won't make assumptions.
TW not included below: slut-shaming *and* virginity-shaming (I told you it was about mean teenagers...)
PS: there wasn't a shred of representation but I don't know how inclusive Russia is in general so I won't make assumptions.
TW not included below: slut-shaming *and* virginity-shaming (I told you it was about mean teenagers...)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide attempt
genny's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Goodness, how do I even begin to review this book? I expected a weird magic system, but this went beyond anything my mind was prepared for. It's actually funny to look back through my reading notes; I went from confused and depressed (nearly DNF'd around 40% in), to strangely compelled to continue (Part Two was the turning point for me), to calm acceptance and even enjoyment. I think it's because the authors are very skilled at getting the reader into the protagonist's headspace - my own feelings reflected Sasha's, as we watch her transformation from a terrified freshman at the Institute, to an almost-broken version of not-quite-herself, to something beyond human that she has learned to be proud of.
It's very difficult to explain the premise without spoiling the plot, but the gist of it is that language is the "magic system" in place. The fact that this deals so heavily with speech theory must have made this a beast to translate. I can't help but feel that this book was written for someone smarter than me, ha! I read some discussions about this after I finished, which helped solidify my interpretation of it (especially that vague ending). It's a book that begs to be discussed, really. It'll be sitting in a dark corner of my brain for quite some time. Now I need a light, fluffy read to decompress!
It's very difficult to explain the premise without spoiling the plot, but the gist of it is that language is the "magic system" in place. The fact that this deals so heavily with speech theory must have made this a beast to translate. I can't help but feel that this book was written for someone smarter than me, ha! I read some discussions about this after I finished, which helped solidify my interpretation of it (especially that vague ending). It's a book that begs to be discussed, really. It'll be sitting in a dark corner of my brain for quite some time. Now I need a light, fluffy read to decompress!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Ableism, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Trafficking
vortensity's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This isn't a book; it's a concept.
I have mixed feelings about this. The whole time reading it I was just thinking that I should have just re-read The Magicians trilogy instead. It's not exactly the same, either as a book or a concept, but it's similar enough and, frankly, I liked The Magicians better.
This was translated from Russian, and I think it was similar enough in terms of diction and especially syntax when it came to the writing style to other translations I've read from that language. I'm not sure whether that's part of why the writing style didn't work for me, because I always want to like translated fiction more than I do, it's a running theme with me. But overall I did find there to be a lot of telling over showing, and the writing kept me at arm's distance from what was going on on the page.
The character work is what I'm most disappointed in, I think. There really wasn't a ton of it. The characterizations were consistent, but there just wasn't that much substance to them outside of Sasha, and even Sasha I feel like I could have gotten to know better if we had more time to see the development of her relationships with the characters around her, but they are simply set pieces so we're basically just told what happens between them in a matter-of-fact way. I was interested in very few of the side characters, and the ones I found most interesting weren't really developed as much as I wanted them to be. I think Lisa's story was interesting, and I wanted to get to know her more, and I think that sexual violence was part of her story and it wasn't really... addressed ever?... just left a kind of bad taste in my mouth.
But, I did find the concepts this book was playing with interesting, and I suspect that's what the authors were more interested in when writing it. But, I can't really talk about that like too much without spoiling the entire thing as it isn't even revealed to you what the authors are having the main character work towards until the last 100-ish pages of the book.
I didn't dislike this book or feel like it was a complete waste of my time, I did want to finish it and I'm glad that I did. However, I don't think that I would recommend it to anyone.
I have mixed feelings about this. The whole time reading it I was just thinking that I should have just re-read The Magicians trilogy instead. It's not exactly the same, either as a book or a concept, but it's similar enough and, frankly, I liked The Magicians better.
This was translated from Russian, and I think it was similar enough in terms of diction and especially syntax when it came to the writing style to other translations I've read from that language. I'm not sure whether that's part of why the writing style didn't work for me, because I always want to like translated fiction more than I do, it's a running theme with me. But overall I did find there to be a lot of telling over showing, and the writing kept me at arm's distance from what was going on on the page.
The character work is what I'm most disappointed in, I think. There really wasn't a ton of it. The characterizations were consistent, but there just wasn't that much substance to them outside of Sasha, and even Sasha I feel like I could have gotten to know better if we had more time to see the development of her relationships with the characters around her, but they are simply set pieces so we're basically just told what happens between them in a matter-of-fact way. I was interested in very few of the side characters, and the ones I found most interesting weren't really developed as much as I wanted them to be. I think Lisa's story was interesting, and I wanted to get to know her more, and I think that sexual violence was part of her story and it wasn't really... addressed ever?... just left a kind of bad taste in my mouth.
But, I did find the concepts this book was playing with interesting, and I suspect that's what the authors were more interested in when writing it. But, I can't really talk about that like too much without spoiling the entire thing as it isn't even revealed to you what the authors are having the main character work towards until the last 100-ish pages of the book.
I didn't dislike this book or feel like it was a complete waste of my time, I did want to finish it and I'm glad that I did. However, I don't think that I would recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence