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skylar_disobeys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
sbookreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lolasherwin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Abortion
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
britlovestoread'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? N/A
4.0
But in the end things started moving more quickly and everything tied together. A difficult read but a good read.
The author's note at the end adds even more depth and made the story stand out even more for me.
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
exrthalex'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War
book_cave_ghost_girl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Murder, and War
birdomens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
syllareads'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Slavery
Minor: Rape and War
cmbohn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Pregnancy
paulineerika's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I've seen some other reviews criticize the plot of this book as being too meandering or drifting and I can see that. I think the summary provided is misleading: this isn't a clear story about three women and their lives throughout the end of the Civil War. In fact, I wouldn't really call it a story about three women at all. If anything, it's Rue's story, but it's really more about the community in the aftermath of the Civil War. I think one reviewer had it right: the story felt like a mood, not a plot. It's not one that's easily defined or even described.
Atakora's writing is wonderful and I enjoyed it, but the book itself was not as enjoyable, if that makes sense. I was stressed a lot when reading it, waiting for the worst to happen. And while the axe never quite falls, there is a lot of tragedy and trauma that the characters experience almost casually, like it's just a regular part of life, which is heartbreaking. (Of course, given the setting of the story, I guess that's not so surprising.) The ending is tentatively happy, but not completely satisfying.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail