alysereadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Racism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
norwegianforestreader'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
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and War
bookswithlauren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Medical content, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
madisonfrank's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Cultural appropriation, Death, Racism, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Cursing, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Stalking
hayleyvem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Mental illness, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Islamophobia
zoevjester's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading this after reading Babel is a thrilling experience because of the author pointing a finger at all the readers who slammed the book for disturbing them with the racism that's written and shown. Seeing the dialogue in the book that's lifted from the reviews the author received? Absolutely delightful.
However, the second half of the book shifts into the characters being the focus - and this is when my stomach soured as I read on.
June is an incredibly well-written character. She is a thief and a liar and we are in her head for the majority of the story so we see her thoughts and mannerism. She's a horrible human being, adamant and persistent and her sin is Envy - over her friend, Athena Liu.
Athena, for all of appearing in only one chapter before her death, she is prominent throughout the whole story. We see her life through the perspective of June, and of other characters, and they all comment on her whole life.
It would have been nice, I think, if the final chapter of Athena's life was written from her POV, so we get an unfiltered perspective of her and who she is, but not doing so I guess adds the mystery of who she truly was.
However, I dropped this to 4 instead of 5 stars. The second half of the story contains some topics that needed content warnings. I wouldn't have read this if I'd known these topics were written about.
But, I'm curious about the quote, 'An Act of Translation is an Act of Betrayal'. It's the opener for Babel: An Arcane History, and also written in this book too. I'd love to know what this quote means for the author.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Classism, War, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Bullying, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Stalking
issyd23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Classism, Death, Alcohol, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, War, Genocide, and Toxic friendship
rachelshubin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Racism, Suicide, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Rape, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Death, and Sexual assault
mirandyli'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic friendship, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Cultural appropriation, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Death, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Classism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Trafficking, Abortion, Deportation, and Drug use