You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
daniquevdijk_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Gore and Grief
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
“In the end, a fairy tale is nothing more than a sense of hope. Hope lures and tricks. It tempts with shining thrones, exquisite nectars, and loving arms. It whispers to us that we are extraordinary. Exempt. Thus lured, we follow its path. Sometimes we are led to riches. Other times, we are led astray. But this hope never hides its shape, and for its honesty we reach for it and pull its sweet and stinking furs up to our chins, for to live without it means living without magic.”
➽ The Last Tale of the Flower Bride was an intense, enchanting book! I know there are a lot of mixed opinions on it, but I personally found it very compelling. The story is all about the mysterious, wealthy Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, who is forced to come back to her childhood home with her late husband. The husband is never named, but he gets a POV where he recounts his marriage to Indigo and her strange behavior. The second POV is set in the past as we follow Azure, Indigo's childhood best friend. Definitely check the content warnings for this book, as it has some very dark moments! I personally preferred Azure's POV as it was more interesting. We see her very unhealthy, codependent and volatile friendship with Indigo, which is meant to make us feel uncomfortable. Indigo's a complicated, twisted girl who can give you the world, but also tear it down if she feels like it. I loved how many morally grey characters were in the book and how the line between magic and reality began to blur! The ending had some amazing plot twists!
Graphic: Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
scarlett_f'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
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
With a flower bride comes flowery language.jbird_reads'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content
horizonous'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Self harm, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment
saliwali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
paperquilt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia
deszra'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
5.0
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment
unfiltered_fiction'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
3.75
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
provo'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At times I was really irritated about the time and place this is supposed to play out, I am still not sure if this takes place in Europe or the USA. There were thing very specific to Europe (e.g. drinking at 16) and things very specific to the U S (driving at 17). There were things typical for the 90s (big cellphones with an antenna are mentioned in the parts were the protagonists are grown up, which puts the childhood scenes somewhere between end 70s/mid 80s) but also things that were absolutely not typical for that time (girls making out with other girls in public without anyone reacting in a homophobic way in a small town).
I was less interested in the story of the husband (but it was important to the overall plot and it did not take up too much space in the story), but the parts about the past were really good (also very painful at times).
It also cements my belief that kids who grow up too rich are just completely out of touch 🤷🏻♀️
Edit: after reading a couple of reviews for this after finishing it, I want to add: I would not call this a romance nor fantasy and I am slightly annoyed by publishing houses who are not able to describe the genre of their books correctly because their fancy descriptions might sell better. This is a mystery thriller and a coming of age story in a Trenchcoat of fairytale metaphors.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal death