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sauvageloup's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
pros:
- writing is poignant, powerful and weaves a compelling narrative, while never being especially verbose or wandering too far. The dialogue felt real enough for the period, but still intense and readable.
- the characters were all brilliant, they come to life gradually and several change over the period of the story,
- Lisbet showed great growth
- the setting, the history and the depiction of the dancing mania was all extremely evocative and intense, I could picture it all so well and you feel as if you're down there in the pulsing, dangerous crowds, or drowning in the smell of melting beeswax.
- lisbet's alliance with the bees and later the dog, Ulf, added another beautiful layer to her character and her skills as a beekeeper helped her realise her own worth, beyond being a wife and a mother.
- I loved the women's friendships, Lisbet's true love for Ida despite her mixture of jealousy and awe towards her friend, and Nethe's developing care and love for Lisbet, despite her initial fear of closeness.
- the significant tragedies of the book are balanced with successes, which stopped me from feeling betrayed at the end, which I sometimes am with tragic books. bitter sweet, I can do!
- Plater's grim awfulness is written in a way that is familiar but still ghastly, and the dread of his arrival is tangible every time he arrives.
cons:
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- also wish that the role of the eldest daughter as a replacement mother might have been examined a little.
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- it was of course upsetting, though somewhat expected from how saintly she is set up as, that Ida died. as Lisbet and Eren survived, couldnt Nethe and Ida have? it fitted with the story ofc, but it's a shame that it continues the 'bury your gays'
overall, I truly loved this haunting, sad, and powerful historical novel about the power of female friendship and love against loss, hardships and intolerance.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Medical content, and Alcohol
lorriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Slavery, Excrement, Alcohol, and Colonisation
bree_of_the_woods'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
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury