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thissagreads'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
3.0
I love that Katrell got revenge on those who wronged her, but there were too many moments where she was so fiercely “I can do things on my own” that it inevitably became her downfall.
Here were my issues with the story:
1. Katrell’s mother was a bum, constantly begging or guilting Katrell for money, but didn’t look for a damn job herself. On top of that, she literally let her raggedy, trash human boyfriend, be horrible and abusive while Katrell constantly begged her mother to do the right thing and leave him! It took SO MUCH for Katrell to stop caring about her mother and I understand she’s a teenager, but even her best friend Willow/“Will” (who had suffered her own heap of childhood trauma) told Katrell to stop excusing her mother for being so terrible but Katrell didn’t leave until the very end of the book.
2. I wish the people who were brought back from the dead had more purpose, but I think they were just extensions of Katrell in some ways, so I think that explanation could’ve been a little more clear.
3. Where the hell was the school system or child protection services? The ONE counselor had an idea of what was going on, but he acted much too slowly, and it was quite frustrating that no adult stepped in and took some of the burden off of Katrell. It wasn’t until the end of the story, when Willow -“Will”- and Will’s adoptive parents take Katrell into their home.
4. There was a LOT less focus on how cool her magical abilities were, and more focus on how terrible her life was. I was looking forward to an escape, with “Black Girl Magic” but instead, I was angry and frustrated with everyone who let her down repeatedly.
Honestly this story feels more like a looking lens into impoverished kids of color who are let down by various adults and systems, forced to make tough choices, in order to survive and sustain some kind of life for themselves and their family.
!! So just be warned that this book is not an escape. As someone who knows what it’s like to work in mental healthcare with kids, it was the complete opposite of what I was looking for in a story. But not terrible! Just not an easy read.
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment and Domestic abuse
allison_reads_87'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
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Death, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Animal death, Bullying, and Violence
gin_and_books's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Abandonment, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Animal death, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Child death, Cursing, and Death
This is not a fantasy book as advertised. It has a promising start and very quickly develops into YA, trauma dump ship wreck with no plot or character development. This book will leave you yelling and feeling angry for sureamberinpieces's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, and Medical content
Minor: Cursing, Bullying, Alcohol, Car accident, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
minniestronni's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship
lbelow'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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
narbine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal death, Medical content, Murder, and Physical abuse
wannaseeafrog's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
joyreadsbuku's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Long(er) review: Okay... I read this book bcs of a YouTuber who wanted to read it. It is described as BGM (Black Girl magic) and the YouTuber said that the author sent it to her, who said that there is "no trauma" in this book. Tell me why, from the very first page to the very last, there was nothing but trauma? Yes, there is one trigger warning at the beginning ("Content note: this book contains depictions of child and animal abuse), but then why would the author say that there isn't any trauma...? I mean, a lot of people dnf'ed bcs of this very reason.
When I hear BGM, I think of Amari (Amari and the Night Brothers), Zélie (Children of Blood and Bones), and Deka (The Gilded Ones). This is not that, at all. I've watched other reviews on YouTube and one person said that this isn't a heavy book. Let me tell you now: this book is very heavy and emotionally taxing;
Idk who the target audience was, but if you're looking for BGM like the books I've mentioned above, this is not it. Just be (emotionally) prepared, bcs I wasn't, and I had to put the book down several times.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse
imstephtacular's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Dysphoria, Grief, Misogyny, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Minor: Sexism and Vomit