a_wren_that_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Self harm, Body horror, Classism, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Medical content, and Dysphoria
applesaucecreachur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Spoiler
Tally's mouth to David in that breakup scene toward the end? Delicious. I wasn't even invested in either of her little relationships before that point but oh boy. Did that rope me in.Spoiler
New Pretty Town as I've been curious to know more about it since book oneThat said, I can't go without mentioning this book's problems. I'll start with a more neutral one:
Spoiler
The "primative" villagers, at least at this point, feel like an unnecessary addition that gum up the plot's gears. The role that they serve, at least in the timeline of this book, is to reveal to Tally both the drastic measures that the scientists and Specials will take to learn about "human nature", and that this nature is inherently violent. Groundbreaking (/s). But couldn't we have learned this by, I don't know, having Tally stumble upon confidential files or an old newspaper article or something? Did we need an entire new civilization and cast of characters thrown into the last few chapters of a book already crowded with new terms for classes of people?Spoiler
Tally and ZaneSpoiler
Shay's new, creepy cliqueSpoiler
to heal their brain lesionsSpoiler
the bad guys of sortsWould I read it again? Absolutely not. But boy howdy, did I enjoy every minute. All I have to say about this ridiculous and perfect book is: Get it, Tally Youngblood. Eat your pretty little face and your big ugly heart out.
Graphic: Self harm and Eating disorder
Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Body shaming and Racism
cow_inthe_closet'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Self harm, Eating disorder, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcohol and Body shaming
Minor: Medical content
froggydanny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, and Self harm
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, and Medical content
optimisms's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Spoiler
The quest to find Valentino 317Spoiler
the destruction of the ice rinkSpoiler
the breathless escape in the hot air balloonsBut then everything fell to pieces, which was probably inevitable when the logic of the very world itself is held together with spit and glue. As soon as the gang
Spoiler
leaves New Pretty Town and heads off to find the New SmokeSpoiler
CuttersSpoiler
run-in with the "savages" who believe Tally is a god. As a student of International Development, I found this section deeply problematic, as it was simply riddled with thought patterns adjacent to white supremacy, white saviorism, etc. She called them "uncivilized" and "savage" and "monstrous," wanted to educate them and show them "the right way" to live, got angry that they weren't willing to change their whole entire culture overnight just for her, scoffed at their inability to immediately understand and accept scientific explanations, assumed they would rather live like her if they had the choice, etc etc etc. And all of this is written in a way that makes me concerned that Westerfeld believes much of this himself about "undeveloped" nations around the worldSpoiler
Apparently, in this world, hot-air balloons, starving yourself, and falling from great heights can temporarily cure brain damage. Permanently, if you're as special as Tally. And if you literally get pseudo-cancer that completely destroys sections of your brain so you lose motor and cognition skills, no worries, because if you get stem cells in your brain you can just...relearn thatSpoiler
the two pills did different things and needed to be taken together to workSpoiler
They all escaped to the Ruins only to realize they've been tricked and caught by the Specials, the Smoke is on the run because of Tally, someone she loves is hurt (also because of Tally), and now she has to go back to the Pretty Town alone to undergo forced surgery and try to help her loved one get better before they both somehow escape to find the Smoke againGraphic: Self harm, Body shaming, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Body horror, Alcohol, and Confinement
Minor: Fatphobia and Medical content
ldruckreier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Violence and Body shaming
goldsbuc'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Xenophobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Drug use, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Medical content, Classism, Body shaming, and Confinement
kp_writ's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Murder