faithe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Body horror, Death, Medical content, Animal death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Homophobia, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, and Religious bigotry
audreyxine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My biggest criticism is the length. I would have preferred about 50 less pages. The momentum was hard to keep up, especially with all the jumping around between characters.
For anyone thinking about picking this one up, I strongly recommend binging it. It needs to be a fever dream in order to make sense.
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Classism, Excrement, Infidelity, Grief, Homophobia, Suicide, Vomit, Child death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
whatannikareads's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
the author was ambitious in her work, and I think that is why it's not for everyone, because you must be ambitious to finish the book. it took a lot of brain power to keep up with the names of characters, jumping across different timelines without warning and the switching of character perspectives. it is a slow read and at times it made me want to put it down. i think the ending was a bit quick compared to the rest of the book, given the fact it essentially takes place over 1 day. but since it took a lot of energy to complete it, I do feel satisfied in not having given up on it.
Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Body horror, Drug use, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Suicide
madelynfrank'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
Beautiful prose, interesting and fun setting. Many extremely unique and strong characters and I love them all. It was a joyful escapist magical fantasy that still spoke on food scarcity, complex colonialism, addiction, misogyny. Smart and special and I wish I had more.
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Addiction, Classism, Death, Genocide, Grief, Alcoholism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infertility, and Infidelity
thunderousdandelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Infertility, Pregnancy, Suicide, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child death, and Death
lavenderlemonade'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
Graphic: Colonisation, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Addiction, Infidelity, Excrement, Grief, and Infertility
quirme01'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? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Miscarriage, Suicide, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Infidelity, Infertility, Homophobia, and Drug use
Minor: Vomit and Grief
kayesomething'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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Death, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Body horror, and Infidelity
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Misogyny
hollyd19's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Set in a fictional Caribbean archipelago called Popisho, this delightful and kaleidoscopic book takes place over the course of a day and follows a chorus of magical characters as the impending wedding of the Governor’s daughter approaches. At the center of it all is Xavier Redchoose, the macaenus (a role appointed-by-the-gods to prepare a meal for every Popisho resident over his tenure).
This was easily one of the most creative books I’ve ever read. Everyone in Popisho is born with “cors,” another word for some sort of magical endowment. But not in a predictable witchcraft/sorcery way. Cors are as varied as people; some people have extremely long limbs, others can detect when you lie, others can change the colors of random objects. Author Leone Ross also committed impressively to world-building. There were so many invented words that I gave up on looking up definitions and just leaned in to the disorientation. And every plot turn felt completely original and entrancingly chaotic.
Graphic: Addiction and Drug use
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide, Child death, Colonisation, Sexism, and Pregnancy
booksnailmail's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The first hints of upcoming chaos on Popisho are when mysterious yellow graffiti emerges - they interrogate Popishans (sp?) with the know-how of Big Brother and the heart of a revolutionary. Then, at exactly 12 noon, the “pum pum” of every woman falls out - some are bouncing in the streets, stolen by peeping Toms, or secured into locked drawers until they can be re-attached. That’s right, when all women find their vulvas spontaneously detached, the government passes an edict that all sexual intercourse must halt for 24 hours until a solution is reached. *GASP*
As amazing as these characters seem, this book has earned a forever spot on my bookshelf for one other reason - Leone Ross has a cors herself. She spreads words onto the page with artistic genius. She is a composer of the page. Her word choice is eccentric, but she creates cadence and character in fonts. I’m telling you people - this book is a best-kept secret at the moment. There is nothing else like it.
Minor: Addiction, Grief, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Infidelity