Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Passing Strange

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

18 reviews

whatsmacksaid's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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kmhst25's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious relaxing slow-paced

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

2.5

Passing Strange is what I like to call Wouldn’t It Be Nice literature. The author appears to have thought: wouldn’t it be nice to write a story about San Francisco in the 40s? A lesbian love story? Something with a little magic and chalk pastels?

The problem with Wouldn’t It Be Nice literature is that it doesn’t really go anywhere. The author’s not writing for the plot, but for the happy little ideas they had in their head. It falls flat, because the author is too busy telling you about their pet loves to tell you a full fledged story.

This is half a story that I think you’re only really going to enjoy if you also happen to fall in love with the author’s pet loves and aren’t particularly looking for a plot.

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nem_'s review against another edition

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

4.0

While I did really enjoy this book-especially with the way the end ties into the beginning-I did think the magic aspects tended to come out of left field, which was a shame. But I did enjoy the romance (though it did start too quickly for my liking), as well as the way it tackled being a lesbian in a 1940s setting. It was very insightful! Absolutely recommend.

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beccaand's review

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emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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hailstorm3812's review

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I didn't really care for this. It has so many elements I like individually but they just ultimately didn't come together for me. I just didn't care. I liked the vibes, the small discussions on Science and Magic, drag kings, and Helen, but I didn't care about the lightning romance that the book hinges on.

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kathleenmcg's review

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dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a gorgeous novella. It went from mystery, to historical romance, to fantasy with magical realism, to what should become LGBTQIA classic. The mysterious beginning gives way to a love story between two women in 1940. The action between the two women running in to one another in an all women’s nightclub, falling in love, running into trouble, because conflict is necessary even in the shortest of stories, and escaping trouble, happen within a matter of days. Having friends to rely on, or, found family, are also important aspects to this story. The fantastical and the magical elements leave the book with a mysterious end, that with the beginning, bookend the love story at the heart of this novella.

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