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noms01'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
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Death, Drug use, Child abuse, Blood, Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and War
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Abandonment, Medical content, Slavery, and Sexism
harrimyers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Infertility, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
booksmoviesandstories's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, War, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Drug use, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Grief, and Racism
scholastic_squid'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
3.75
The beginning really took me in and I was loving it and the world building. The characters throughout the book as a whole are all memorable with unique personalities however, I began struggling with the story once the school lessons were fairly repetitive. Which fine.. I understand.. but, then when the war breaks out the book took a deep dive into darkness (again ok it’s about war and Chinese history told as fantasy) but damn.. the sudden change of tone to describe what I’m assuming was Nan King’s experience after being written almost like a YA book to incredibly descriptive language about that atrocity? Eek. This book is definitely not YA, but I would say that much of it is written in that style. I think what brought my rating down was the last 1/4th it was just a whine fest to me and didn’t really leave it as a nail biting cliff hanger so like I’m not jazzed about picking up the second book? Also, I would have loved a bibliography of sorts about all the sources she used to help tell her tale.. similar to how The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi ended. The author loaded up a chapter telling the reader many of her reference books. Also, I really feel like this book needed a trigger warning page? If I missed it that’s on me I guess but yikes haha there’s a lot that happens.
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Slavery, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Drug use, Drug abuse, War, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Torture
periodblood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Throughout the book there were some pacing and characterisation (in the middle) issues.
What hit the hardest for me
Nonetheless, there was still some humor given throughout the book. Rin is a perfect protagonist. She emotionally complicated and annoys you every few pages (at least). I ex remely dislike Altan.
I really don't know what else to say. I just feel disturbed.
Graphic: Colonisation, Addiction, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, War, Genocide, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Slavery, Mental illness, Child death, Vomit, Grief, and Torture
Based on real war crimes.megsssss_'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
Graphic: Ableism, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, Hate crime, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, War, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Colonisation, Blood, Child abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Rape, Slavery, and Xenophobia
readwithsophsx'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
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, War, Child death, Torture, Violence, Rape, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Drug use, Slavery, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Drug abuse, Self harm, Murder, Medical trauma, and Cursing
aishaslittlelife'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
4.5
The first 100 or so pages are slow paced but then after that it gets fast faced really fast until the end.
Absolutely broke me into a thousand tiny hurting bits. Altan is my favourite nobody understands him like I do.
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Torture, Colonisation, Death, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Drug abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Addiction, Animal death, and Drug use
fantasynarwhal's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Gore, Suicide, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Infertility, Bullying, Colonisation, Cannibalism, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Death, Torture, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Suicide attempt
biaaaa'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
It took me a while to really get into the book, tbh the first part was a little boring to me, but I think that if or when I reread I'm going to appreciate it so much more!
But the second and third part broke my heart!!! And I know that the characters didn't make the best or the right choices but they're literally teenagers, Rin is just 19 years old at the end of the book and she's already gone through so much trauma, so I really can't dislike her even after what she did at the end, same with Altan, even if he was awful to Rin through the majority of the book.
Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, and War
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Toxic relationship and Slavery