bean_7088's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Wanna be sad about the human race? Wanna feel fairly hopless? This one is for you!
It does end on a hopeful note... but like that hopefulness is somewhat undercut by the way the character speakin treated.
This one had a lot of tense scenes I wanted to hide from. I had to stop a lot and explain what was going on to my roommate so I could get those jitters out. Like, a televised "discussion" between two different sides of the alien personhood debate. A hearing where unknown evidence comes up.
Anyways, it was still really good.
I'm not sure how I felt about Kaveh. And I'm not sure if it was how he was written or just his voice actor 😅 I'm sure the guy is normally fine, but the main voice actor Stephanie Willis is so incredible that switching to him is quite jarring.
Waring that Cora goes through a lot, this poor kid traumatized over and over. And Stephanie Willis will make you feel it. Listening to Cora's Panic attacks was very distressing.
The ending left on such a wild note I am excited to see where the 3rd book will go. Now I just have to wait 7 months 🥲
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Islamophobia, Grief, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicide, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Self harm, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Lindsay Ellis does a big Content Warning before everything starts. At least in the audio book.emilb'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Antisemitism, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Suicide, Islamophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping
seullywillikers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gore, Islamophobia, Confinement, Deportation, Racism, and Addiction
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Infertility, and Eating disorder
_doze_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Grief, Gore, Mental illness, Gun violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Antisemitism, Self harm, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual violence
moonspren'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Eating disorder, Grief, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death, Gun violence, and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
chaoticnostalgia'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Gore
Minor: Blood and Confinement
softanimal's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Self harm, Grief, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Violence, Suicide, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Racism, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Deportation, Body horror, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, and Xenophobia
frahhn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Spoiler
Very torn—I liked the introduction of a second POV because Cora can grate on me, sort of feel like she is Bella Swan-esque. After two books I thought I would have a better sense of who this character is, but in book two she’s been through so much trauma that dealing with that is the focus rather than further exploring the character and encouraging her growth. The character herself expresses a total inability to know herself so maybe it’s fully intentional and I just don’t like it! That said, I think this was the better ending between the two books, and I’m really hoping the next book will have major growth for Cora and Ampersand (Jude), or if not, that the tragedy of being too alien to each other is played out meaningfully. Going back to the dual POV, I was pretty torn about the relationship that develops—I liked Kaveh a TON and then felt more meh once romance and sex was involved, but not enough to be unmoved by the really devastating development towards the end of the book. I really loved the introduction of Nic and his and Kaveh’s relationship throughout the text. I think Nic is my favorite character in the series yet, and I’m really curious to see how addiction will be handled in the third book, with Kaveh’s words and lessons in mind. Nit picky stuff, I need the word existential to stop being in the text (lol sorry! I feel the same about GRRM’s use of jape) and also sometimes the application of modern terms and modern discourse are jarring to me—I know the alt-right has existed forever with journalists and more covering them forever but I would have appreciated slightly different terms/adjacent terms for some of the contemporary phenomena happening in an alternative, earlier time that obviously serves as a comment on ours—Takes me out of the narrative a little, and I even often agree with the politics. I think it would then work a little better for the purposes of an engaging science fiction novel in addition to being contemporary political commentary—which of course informs any book fiction or not—but I think working well as both the novel and the commentary is what makes a classic? Anyway, hoping the next book goes full “I <3 My Monster Boyfriend” per a piece of LE merch :) and that Cora’s dad gets some supervillain-esque send-off akin to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.Graphic: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Eating disorder, and Death
Moderate: Islamophobia and Forced institutionalization
htsrokin'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Xenophobia and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Toxic relationship and Alcoholism
lastcomment314's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Excrement, Genocide, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence