abby_can_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Confinement, Animal death, Death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Gore, Religious bigotry, and Torture
Minor: Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Racism, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity
mags_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Abandonment, Slavery, and Xenophobia
bexi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I often struggled to connect with the characters and found many of them unlikable, including the main character Lyra (she grew on me, but I'm still not sure I like her).
I believe this book is supposed to be a critique of Christianity, or maybe more specifically the Church. I occasionally felt I lacked the knowledge to understand all of the critiques because although my parents were raised Baptist & Catholic respectively, I was not raised as such. For context, I'm not a religious person and identify as agnostic. I found the commentary interesting, but if you're a Christian you might get upset by some of it.
This book is marked as middle grade and young adult. I'd say it leans more YA. I found this incredibly dark for MG and would not recommend it to the average middle grader. If said child is emotionally & intellectually mature for their age then okay, but otherwise I'd say it's best for ages 14+. I don't have kids, so take that with a grain of salt. I personally would not have been mature/smart enough to get much out this book had I read it in middle school. 😅
I thought the story was unique and liked it overall, but I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book in the series.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Racism, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Excrement, and Infidelity
orchidlilly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Medical content, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, and Child death
Minor: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Blood, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Racial slurs, and Drug use
moonchildjuli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Kidnapping, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, and Confinement
marianneiriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Abandonment, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Torture, and Xenophobia
fiveredhens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Spoiler
the knowledge of good and evil via elementary particles10-yr-old me: wow cool ferret
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Ableism, Dementia, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Vomit
orientalism, africa as a wild monolith, romani stereotypesfruya'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, and Ableism
Minor: Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Animal cruelty
kylieqrada's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
aconfundityofcrows'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Alcoholism
Minor: Sexual violence, Body shaming, and Misogyny