Reviews

Well written but so so heavy. I wish I would've read the synopsis before I started this book because I was not in the right mindspace for it. It took so long for me to finish it because it reminded me of my traumas.

Content Warnings

skye_era_books's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A good quick read! Kept me engaged the whole time and loved the narrator.

booksamongstfriends's review

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3.0

“Pet” is a reminder to look into the places we think are safe and to look out for those who need protecting. Truly bridging the gap between youthful imagination and harsh reality.

MY THOUGHTS

jocelynsbookshelf's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kdahlo's review

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4.0

I really liked this book, and I'm more and more excited to read more of Akwaeke Emezi's books. I suggest reading it, since I was delightfully surprised by the contents. A few things to consider if you are matching this book to a young reader, the protagonist is black, trans and uses sign language. The way the book weaves together different types of dialogue (verbal and non verbal) is really cool. The book includes discussions of child abuse, although it is pretty cautious to not present details - while it could be triggering for some readers, I think the presentation is pretty sensitive. Something to think about though, depending on the kid and their experiences and coping skills. Overall, I loved the setting, the characters and their relationships. Utopian and complex. Very cool.

martinj's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful slow-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

seraphiina's review

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

bratatouille's review against another edition

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2.25

This accomplishes what it sets out to do. I’d even argue that it does it well. This book is essentially the “society if leftists took over” that right wing people are so afraid of. It discusses the demons that live within people who know and love and how impossible it can be to identify them. It normalizes gender queerness, non cis-het relationships, accessibility, and has a fuckin cool/scary angel creature. The reason the rating is so low is because it has the Barbie Movie problem. Everything is perfectly spelled out for the reader because it’s meant to introduce them to broad strokes of clear concepts. As someone who is not new to any of these topics, I found it to be like reading a middle grade woke book. Which is good for new audiences but I am not that; so it impacts my experience. All of the conflict was predictable, even down to the character responses to it. Similarly, the resolutions were underwhelming. I like some of Emezi’s writing and do believe this story holds a lot of merit. It just wasn’t intended for me.

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