Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Shadows Between Us

While the female main character, Alessandra was very self-absorbed and unlikable, the storyline was incredibly engaging. The fake dating and strangers to friends to lovers tropes were incredibly well written. The male main character, Kallias, was very likable towards the end of the book. It really takes awhile for the characters and the storyline to get interesting enough to continue though.

Content Warnings

madarauchiha's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 my about / byf / CW info carrd: uchiha-madara 💜 💙 💚 💛 🧡 ❤️

I... didn't expect to like this so much. It was a potato chip: delicious, not that filling, but if you like the flavor then it brightens your life while it lasts. It's nothing I'd gush over to friends per se, the plot was interesting and the MC was funny and I enjoyed watching her antics.

It does suffer from a white author trying to write Black characters or characters of color. I've noticed that the characters are essentially white. They just happen to have darker skin tones. By that I mean they don't have culture or specific link to a race or ethnicity.

▪ Hestia’s coloring is a rich umber with yellow undertones. She wears her hair short, only about an inch from her scalp, the strands wrapping in tight coils. The lack of length shows off her gorgeous earrings, a pair of garnets encased in complicated brasswork.

▪ The strands are the same color as my black hair, but her skin is a bit darker, more amber than my dark beige.

So the MC and a few other characters are technically characters of color. But again, they have no culture, no generational traditions passed from person to person, no communal links to each other. Beyond descriptions there's not really personalized touches, like you'd expect if a black character / character of color was portrayed as actually black / of color.

Have fun, but don't expect much in terms of personal representation if you're a Black reader or Reader of Color.

Content warnings:

minor drugs opium, manipulation, blackmail, torture, murder,

medium colonization, violence, parent death, orphaning, hanging, NSFW, slut shaming, whorephobic language,

major dogs, gambling, death, gore, murder, poison, alcohol use, body horror, murder, parental death, gore, anti sex worker sentiment, gun violence, guns,

Content Warnings

sunsetcity's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

More...