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alexlynx'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: Body horror, Child abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, Dementia, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Death, Grief, Animal death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Slavery, and Self harm
pm_me_book_recs'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
3.0
Godly Heathens showcases a ton of conflict, much of it saturated in teen angst and edgy one-liners. The dialogue was too try-hard for me, it felt like an adult assuming how queer teens talk? And this cast! The whole main cast is Queer, Trans/ Non-Binary, Native, Black, Latine, and some neurodivergence as well, and none of it is the target of harassment or bullying. We get to see Queer joy, Trans empowerment and normalization, all amongst a very stressful gods-coming-to-earth setting.
My biggest issue was remember who everyone is, the cast was so massive. There is a list of characters in the back, but unfortunately with audiobook... that doesn't help much. I wasn't a fan of the narrator at first, the cadence was hard for me to get into, but once I got their style is speaking it was fine and aided a lot in the characters. I did not like the demon's voice though, idk why, it was just so off. I listened to this via Libro.fm, which at the time was an ALC.
Some steamy make out scenes and daydreams, some references to sexual assault, lots of fantasy violence, lots of big emotions and meltdowns, scary moments with mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Torture, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Colonisation, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Car accident
inlibrisveritas'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
3.0
As it is, I'm interested in the sequel but I'll probably wait a bit after it's release to try it.
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Toxic relationship, and Death
itsapaxycab'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? Yes
4.75
I don't know where to start with this book. I read so few books with nonbinary mc's, and nonbinary mc's written so damn well. There is not a single instance of misgendering or deadnaming in this entire book, which is a beautiful thing sometimes. You can tell me it's not realistic, but it is fantasy, and anything can be true when you put your mind to it.
Morally grey characters are another big thing to me, and this book has done it so well I'm still conflicted on how I feel about every goddamn character in these 400 pages. It is usually easy to find who is the hero in a story, but there is not a single one in this book.
So many of the main plot points are spoilers so I will discuss them more below.
My only big critique is the action. I struggled with this in H.E. Edgmon's other duology as well. While there are a few action-packed scenes that drive the story forward, I get lost in it very easily. The details and so many characters at once get hard to distinguish, especially when each character uses 2-3 names, as they did in this one. I am not great with names as it is, and this made it harder.
This story will continue to sit with me as I wait for its release and eagerly anticipate the sequel coming in April 2024.
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, and Mental illness
Moderate: Self harm and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Addiction
ladykyuuketsuki's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Gore, Torture, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Animal death, Body horror, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Ableism, Colonisation, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
kharlan3'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
I completely adored this book. Gem is complex- I rooted for them, but they make bad, messy, heartfelt decisions left and right. The thing that this book did the best was Gem's inner life- the combination of their mental health issues and the memories of their past lives flowing together, the all-consuming yearning that can't be contained to a single object of affection, the coping skills they try to use but aren't quite enough. I haven't seen quite this point of view on trans-ness, gender, mental illness, and growing up in the rural south anywhere else.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for the next one- H.E. Edgmon hasn't disappointed me yet!
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Transphobia, Mental illness, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Torture, Infidelity, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Self harm, War, and Suicidal thoughts
krisalexcole'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
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Death, Gore, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Animal death, and Body horror
Minor: Infertility, Pregnancy, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, War, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Racism, Transphobia, and Cursing
lycangrrl'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? Yes
5.0
Gem is a nonbinary teen living in Seminole, GA. They are unabashedly queer and are always charming their peers. Underneath however, they are an anxious mess. Not least of all because they worry they are losing their sanity. They have visions of being a god called the Magician and helping another god, The Shade, murder the other god in the pantheon. Gem's father is mentally ill and they worry that, as much as these seem like visions or memories, they are actually hallucinations. Their only true confidant is a trans boy named Enzo who lives in NY.
A girl named Willa Mae comes to their school and we find out that she is one of the gods, Gem is the Magician, and they actually sent all the still living gods to this realm a long time ago and they keep being reborn and will continue to do so unless Gem is killed with a specific weapon which will allow the gods to return home. It is slowly revealed that other teens in the town are reincarnations of the gods and they are all slowly remembering what has happened to them. Some new girls come to town and begin going after Gem to try and kill them, all eventually leading to a final confrontation with Gem, Willa Mae, and Enzo against the gods who want to see Gem destroyed.
An amazing story with many twists and turns that really drew me in. I was in love with Enzo immediately and love where his story ended up going. And that cliffhanger ending! Can't wait for the second book to see how everything unfolds.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Murder, Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Drug use, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Alcohol