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celery'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, and Grief
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Suicide, and Death of parent
bxnny's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
zophronia's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death
ramakn22's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, and Abandonment
zomvi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
At first, I did enjoy the shifting perspectives, but after finishing the book I feel that there wasn't much of a payout. These parts could have been used to pull the reader in better, or have provided more information or foreshadowing. The coming-of-age and passing-of-the-torch tropes seem a bit too convenient. I wish we got to know the characters more - I’m primarily a character-driven reader, and though many are intriguing to a certain extent, I’m not particularly fond of the overwhelming majority of the cast. Tsukiko is probably one character that interests me, but she does seem to be a bit stereotypical in the “eastern mysticism” kind of way that doesn’t really sit super well with me. I want to know more about the contest, the original rivalry that seemingly spawned this competition altogether, and indulge in more world-building, but it’s all a bit too vague. I wish there were specific Shakespeare quotes, instead of vague references as well. I’m also not really a fan of the love-triangle or enemies/rivals-to-lovers tropes, so was looking forward to some twists and turns or subverted expectations somehow,
I did enjoy a lot of the whimsical descriptions of the circus itself, especially the designs and performances or attractions, in particular. The use of color, and the black and white theme greatly complimented the day/night cycles the circus rigidly follows, and the contrasting chapters exploring the many mysterious characters added to the intrigue. I also really loved the food descriptions, and how immersive it felt while Morgenstern gave us the sights and tastes and smells of the scenes.
Regarding the ending,
Overall, glad I finally knocked it off my tbr, but it just wasn’t for me.
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, and Infidelity
alli3hl13'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: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, and Murder
One sex scene but no actual detailsadarose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
kcmg710'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
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol