nat_montego's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Medical trauma, Transphobia, Blood, and Child abuse
saltylane'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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Cursing
Minor: Medical trauma, Transphobia, Outing, Kidnapping, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Deportation, Racism, Cursing, Car accident, and Alcohol
roadesntoades'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
5.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Transphobia, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Incest, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Child death, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
Minor: Outing, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, and Grief
faith_faherty3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went through every possible emotion listening to this audiobook. I will never be the same again actually
Yadriel and Julian if you can hear me… I love you..
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Deadnaming, Outing, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Classism, Cursing, and Fire/Fire injury
There are very very few times where the character is deadnamed, but we never hear the name through the narration. The whole book is following the deaths of teenagers so if that makes you uncomfortable, please proceed with caution!!!recycled_personalities'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia
theprettiestpages's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Spoiler
Hello since your reading this I’m assuming you have read the book or you want to read my spoilers, anyways welcome. I borrowed this book from the library because I am trying not to buy physical books unless I give them at least 4 stars. The main characters Yadriel, is gay and transgender , and he is trying to convince his family that he is boy and that he can become a brujo. The book kept wackiness me over the head with a comedically big sized mallet saying do you get it the main character is trans. I wish that it would do more of showing and not telling. I enjoyed the bits about how the binder worked while putting it on and wearing it. Maritza, was the main side character and I loved her. I want a whole book about her and her immediate family. I loved that she was a vegan and stuck to it even if it meant she usually couldn’t heal people, it made it all the more better when she saved Yads at the end. But I’m getting ahead of my self. The book really begins when the family feels the pain of Miguel, one of their family members dying. They go out and try to look for his body/ spirit tether, but they are unsuccessful. Yads and Maritza were preforming a ceremony to give Yads his power conveniently at same time Miguel is hurt. Yads accidentally raises this guy Julian instead. And from the point they met Yads is smitten with Julian and that’s all that’s on his mind. Miguel being murdered has been thrown in the back for *squints to check paper* a random hot guy from school who is now a ghost boy, ok. The book moved as slow as that one teachers class that Julian got Yads to leave. There was lots of wandering around and looking for clues and not really finding any. They just so happened to stumble upon what was happening at the end for the twist villain *not really a surprise he’s the only one who had a motive* to expo dump what was happening. The foreshadowing was very blatant. I almost had to check if this was a middle grade book. It was like Dora stating okay what are the clues that we have 4 missing people, the missing jaguar knives that lita keeps asking for, an outcast uncle with no powers, and a prophecy that we keep repeating where you need to stab 4 people with the jaguar knives to gain magical powers . Wonder how those things could be related. I wish they would’ve actually found clues that lead them to the answer. Also this book kept feeling like a big inners guide to diversity. It was like one mtf, one ftm, one gay, one lesbian, and one vegan okay everything is covered. The book also did a lot of repetition that went nowhere. It was like the author copied and pasted the same phrase when they didn’t know what to write. I sat here trying to remember how many days had past because Julian and Yads were in love within 3-5 business days. I just sat there mouth agape when Yads said Julian was all he cared about like his cousin’s dead body wasn’t sitting there in the same room. You mean to tell me if Yads could only bring one person back from the dead it would be Julian, and not Miguel?? Lastly I felt like the ending was a cop out. I came here for some murder and mystery. At the end of the day nobody died, but the uncle. Like death means nothing unless you’re a "bad guy". I also would’ve committed murder like the uncle if I was treated like mirable from encanto by all of the members of my family. Are the non magical ones useless?? I feel like they could also help the family. That one uncle is the ONLY ONE WITHOUT POWERS?? *that’s suspicious, that’s weird*. Now let’s talk about the dad only accepting Yads because he can do boy magic. What a let down. I wish it had been a I’ll love you no matter what, then Yads expresses that he got his powers. Lastly the book raises a lot of questions that are never explained. What happens with non-binary or gender fluid brujxes? Did Yads ever find other trans brujxes?/ inquiring minds would like to know. I know I just kind of ranted, but I did love:* Julian for the most part
* Maritza and the boys
*Julian’s friends and the family they built
* rio
* the imagery of the world building
* the different representation of Latinx culture
Moderate: Deadnaming, Death of parent, Murder, Torture, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Blood
lily1304's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
But Yadriel and Julian are so dang cute 😭 it's a fun story with a good pace. Also the concept of a teen witch who won't use her healing powers because she's vegan is hilarious.
I'm curious how much of the "brujx" culture is real and how much is imaginary - I would love to learn more.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia
Minor: Child death, Deadnaming, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
nothingrhymeswithrachel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
a really happy ending which I am always and forever here for. Also, Yadriel and Julian are my new favorite couple, absolute kings.Also, I never read the epilogue of a book. My brain is convinced that if it was that important for the story, it would have been in the chapters, ya know? READ THE EPILOGUE. It’s so important in this book and was so wonderful and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. Absolutely brilliant, will be rereading.
Side note: the fact that Yadriel’s dead name is never actually given in the book is absolutely gold. It is not necessary for the plot, and I am so glad it was never added. It may seem like a small detail but I can absolutely tell it was intentional, thank you.
Moderate: Transphobia, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, and Violence
elenamarmiroli'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
4.0
Vedere come la cultura ispanica è stata incorporata nel magic system, in maniera così organica e naturale è stato fantastico, soprattutto per tutto ciò che riguarda el Día de Muertos, festività che avevo studiato a scuola qualche hanno fa. Altra cosa che ho apprezzato è il fatto che l'autore ha lasciato in spagnolo i dialoghi che avvengo in tale lingua, senza invece tradurli come fanno ha volte altri scrittori, dando un esempio concreto del bilinguismo dei protagonisti.
Una altra cosa fenomenale è il personaggio di Julian, che così pieno di vita da farti scordare che
Spoiler
sia un fantasmaAltro punto a favore è come vengono trattate tutte le tematiche inerenti alla comunità lgbtq+, che vengono sempre affrontate in maniera impeccabile e sicuramente adatte al target per cui il libro era stato realizzato.
Unica pecca del libro è l'inizio che tende agli spiegoni ed è anche particolarmente lento. Per fortuna in seguito il ritmo della storia accelera, e gli spiegoni diminuiscono, fino a quasi scomparire.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
saestrah's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Police brutality, and Transphobia
Moderate: Animal death and Racism