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talonsontypewriters's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, and Death of parent
monicalaurette's review
There were other parts of Millie's internal thoughts about others in the house (Gloria & the baby) that I just didn't need and they made me feel uncomfortable.
Now I don't know if this was my specific copy either but I came upon a lot of grammar errors like missing words or words in the wrong place that also threw me out of the story. Normally that doesn't bother me but I felt that about 25% of the way through the book, the amount that I caught was a lot.
Not going to go into the representation of this book because I just have depression so I'm not sure how wonderfully or terribly it's written here. All I'll say about it is that it's nice to see the types of representation, BPD & amputation, in the book and there should be more of it.
about triggers
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
grey_jayne's review
I'm nearly 1/3 into this book and nothing has grabbed me. I switched to audiobook and came to the realization today that I wasn't going to read the rest of the series. Apart from the little dragon friend, I wasn't having fun. And that's when it's time to DNF. If I'm not going to continue the series, might as well stop.
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
g533's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
bezaberry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed the book over all. It's writing was well paced and didn't linger too long on useless conflict. Although the fantasy element was prevalent the writing never made a big deal out of it which was a relief. I hate it when the main character spends too much time on being surprised or overwhelmed. The characters in general were realistically written and even though Millie's brain was unfamiliar territory, her outlook and active role made her likeable especially at the end. The main reason I only award 3 stars is because the story itself is weak. The characters are the focus and the story is lacking body and creativity. It's a bit cliché and read to me like it was written as an afterthought.
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
buttermellow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Self harm and Violence
Minor: Racism and Death of parent
cerilouisereads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
marleens's review
- 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
In the middle of the book I lost interest for a while, but later it picked up again. Overall it was mostly a detective-like plot which I wasn’t really expecting. Also I haven’t read many books about fae and don’t know much about fae lore, and I’m not sure how interested I am in that part. But even just for Millie’s sake I’m interested in continuing the series.
Graphic: Death and Self harm
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
pixey007's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt
kjtlion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- The voice of the main character, Millie. The story is told in first person, giving us a front row seat to Millie's snark, cynicism, and her often fallible conclusions about people around her. The forthrightness with which her thought processes and emotional states are presented can feel a little crude, but the payoff is one of the most candid representations I've ever read of what it's like to be a flawed human person doing their best. Millie misjudges people, has thoughts she's not proud of, misrepresents herself when she speaks, and says things she regrets. This is all build in with the way Millie frankly narrates her experience with borderline personality disorder, and while BPD isn't my same brand of mental health disorder, I felt very seen. Despite being painted with rather blunt strokes, Millie's character felt very real to me, and captured some things that I don't often see in fiction.
- The plot of the central mystery. The overall pieces of the puzzle were well spaced throughout the story, the climactic resolution to the mystery made sense without being overly predictable, and Millie's attention to detail helped everything pull together nicely.
- The supporting cast. The other members of the Arcadia Project were wonderfully diverse in both their characters and their relationships to the protagonist, giving the interpersonal aspects of the story a dynamic feeling that was enjoyable to read.
Things that didn't work for me:
- The ending. This was honestly a 4.5 star read for me until the last fifty pages or so. The climax felt hasty, and everything past that felt abrupt. The central mystery resolved well, but the other pieces weren't really wrapped up so much as thrown haphazardly in a box and taped shut. Nonspecific spoiler:
major character betrayal and subsequent deaths seemed to come out of nowhere and then were just not dealt with?? at all?? Other reviews seem pretty split, so your mileage may vary, especially if you don't necessarily need your endings tidy. For me, the ending was deeply unsatisfying and left a bad taste in my mouth.
I am very rarely an audiobook person, but I listened to the narration of this book by Arden Hammersmith and thought it was excellent. I highly recommend.
Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racial slurs, Blood, and Death of parent