mxbluet18'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
☆
☆
It's safe to say that was one of the wildest rides I've ever had with a book. Usually I'm not a fan of multiple points of view in the books I read because I find it easy to get things mixed up. But with this one each story within a story was individual and easy to distinguish from one another.
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I loved the simple gay representation you find in the main character Zachary, as well as Dorian, and in Kat (though in passing mention). The fact that there are queer characters doesn't have any bearing on the story, which I find is actually quite nice. Having a story that doesn't revolve around one or more of the characters being some flavour or LGBTQ+.
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Reading some other reviews online when I'm writing this I have found some useful explanations as to how the characters fit into the fairytale being woven from the beginning. Who each character is, whether that's the Pirate, Fate, the acolyte, Allegra and the Guardian. Characters are mentioned and talked about in different books within the books. It has multiple stories within it, and eventually they all fit together and interweave, but I appreciate it might be a little more challenging for some to piece together who's who.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, and Drug use
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Stalking
ye_li's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death and Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Confinement, and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Suicidal thoughts
yourmaninmotion's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual content
Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
frankiejo'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? No
5.0
"This is the rabbit hole. Do you want to know the secret to surviving once you've gone down the rabbit hole?"
Zachary nods and Mirabel leans forward. Her eyes are ringed with gold.
"Be a rabbit," she whispers.
GOD. god i loved this. i think i found my new favourite book.
I'm never going to be able to put all my feelings about this incredible story down, at least not in any meaningful way, all I can do is encourage you to read it.
The prose was breathtaking. I don't think I've ever written down that many quotes (yes I take notes when I'm reading! It's fun) The world that Morgenstern so artfully constructed was beautiful and it hurts my soul that I can't live in it. I have very, very few complaints about this book. As in two. And one of those complaints is just that I think some bits could have used a comma or two to make things clearer, but I;m very overzealous with commas in my own writing so that might just be me. And the other one is that the middle is endless but frankly I don't really care because I loved every minute of it.
Man, I'm always going on to my friends about how much I hate feedback thats just "I loved it" but. Oh my god. I truly cannot think of anything else to say. I've seen this book described as a love letter to stories and the art of storytelling and I wholeheartedly agree. On that note, I do feel I have to say that this is not a casual read. I don't mean that in a derisive way! If you would identify yourself as a casual reader, that is completely fine. All I mean is that this book, in addition to being a love letter to the art of storytelling, is a nonlinear narrative with a lot of moving parts. A lot of different stories are told at once, and not all of them seem especially related to one another until the end. You have to be patient. If nonlinear narratives are a no-go for you, or if you prefer to shut your brain off a little and read to relax, this might not be your cup of tea. Personally, if I was making a list of books you should at least try to read before you die, this would be number one. That's very specific. Anyway, what I'm saying is that while I do suggest giving this a shot, know that it's not a casual fantasy romp. Not that casual fantasy romps are bad, I love them, just that this isn't that. I saw some people saying that they were confused or thrown off by the nature of the narrative, which I found odd at first. I suspect that the people who were confused were unaware of the nonlinear narrative/overlapping stories and so got confused when the story jumped around so much in time, location, and character, which is understandable! Just a heads-up there: 'tis complicated.
I have no idea if any of that made any sense. I feel a little high right now.
A book is made of paper but a story is a tree.
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Grief, Stalking, Violence, and Death
Minor: Blood, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
That schizophrenia/psychosis is discussed, none of the characters have schizophrenia or experience psychosis, although Zachary does repeatedly question his reality.carolynnagain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
epsyphus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia
thepurplepixel's review
- 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? No
5.0
I love this book. There’s so much to ponder and consider, so many beautiful little details, so quiet and lovely. I feel like I did, like I do, when I walk through a quiet art museum, only leaving because I’ve been dragged out by closing time. I feel as though I’ve lost my breath. I was so gripped by this book, and I cannot stop thinking about it.
I love this book. I already know I’m going to reread this many times. Ms. Morgenstern, should you ever read this, thank you.
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
iroreads'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
4.75
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death
Spoiler
at one point in the book the darkness around the character (as some like to say death itself) talks to them and tries to make them believe they are already dead. the character believs it and almost gives up on his journey.andreathrs_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Personally, I would rate it a 3.5 stars at first read because the pacing was a bit off at times. The first and last third of the book (specifically Book I, II, and VI) had a lot more plot compared to the other books. I also didn't feel the urgency of the antagonist because it was hardly mentioned directly to the reader. I also wished there was more of a plot in Books III, IV, and V since many of Zachary's perspective in the plot was him wandering around.
Along with this, there was no strong character development for any of the characters. All of them more or less stayed the same, making the driving force behind the plot the story set in stone and not the characters making decisions for themselves.
All in all, I strongly believe that this book is better understood through more reads due to the intricate interconnectedness of all the stories and characters. I can see my rating changing once I do read it again, though!
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
freckles'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? Yes
5.0
Minor: Death and Suicidal thoughts