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iaraya'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
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Suicide attempt
maryjanewatson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Suicide attempt
readbetweenthevines's review against another edition
3.0
I thought the eating disorder rep was good overall!
Graphic: Eating disorder
missbreathing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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This series truly is evergreen to me. McGuire could write a dozen more of these, and I’d happily read them all. As usual, the prose is beautiful. The story is inventive, yet it remains stylistically and thematically consistent with the rest of the series. The length works perfectly, and McGuire delivers a fully-formed story in under 200 pages.
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Fans of the series will recognize several beloved characters in this book. And the new school was an interesting, if depressing, setting. I do have to say that the first half of this was a bit hard to get through because of how gloomy the mood was. (Definitely check the TWs for this one!) The melancholy mood made it a bit difficult to keep coming back to the story. But the ending is hopeful and well earned!
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This one reminded me of “Every Heart A Doorway”, my personal favorite in the series. It was similar in its themes, and just as good at delivering them.
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Fans of Seanan McGuire and of the “Wayward Children” series can’t miss this one!
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicide and Eating disorder
booksthatburn'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? It's complicated
5.0
Cora is a mermaid even if her scales aren't on the outside right now, but because of some previous events she's currently a mermaid who is having trouble being in the water. The stress of this drives her to think that being severed from both the Drowned Gods and from her Trenches-derived mermaid nature altogether might be better than having both and being haunted by nightmares. She's fat and comfortable in her own skin, the descriptions of fatphobia in the narrative are about how other people are seeing her and assuming things, and she's rejecting those assertions. Fatphobia is just one facet of the food control at Whitethorn, but it's the one she feels most keenly.
Cora doesn’t get to know the other girls very well and that feels purposeful in the narrative. No one at the school is there to bond, they’re there to forget and break in a way that fits the Academy’s version of the world. This gradually changes, especially once a new student appears and they both run into Regan (the protagonist of ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS).
The world of Whitethorn Academy is at least partly modeled after “conversion therapy”, which is a euphemist term for the practice of emotionally and physically torturing people (usually children) until they stop exhibiting some “undesirable” behavior (specifically that of being queer). At Whitethorn, the undesirable behavior is anything having to do with the doors. There are a lot of little subtle things that I appreciate about this manner of worldbuilding, but due to what it’s copying a detailed description would likely be very triggering. The big one I will comment on is that Cora notices that almost all the faculty were former Whitethorn students, because the way in which the school breaks them makes them detached from their doors but also ill-suited for the normal world outside. There’s a lot of little things like that which make for a chilling read, forming a complete vision of a place which takes pleasure in breaking children, but told in a way that makes it clear at every moment that this is a horrible thing.
This continues Cora’s story from her appearances in previous books, as well as showing Regan who was introduced in ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS. There's a new storyline which revolves around the continuing effects on Cora from her time spent with the Drowned Gods, and her attempt to break their hold by going to Whitethorn. A big thing is introduced and resolved, but this was just the introduction for Whitethorn Academy and I’m sure we’ll get more in the future. It set up a lot of fascinating things about that school and the contrast between their mission and Eleanor’s. Cora is a new narrator in the series and her voice is distinct from the previous ones. This book is a turning point in the series and might be a bit much for someone to try and start here. It relies in a basic understanding of the doors and why someone might want to either return or forget, so it’s definitely better to start with the first book instead. The ending is well done, with a bittersweet mix of triumph and terror. I'm very excited for whatever's next, this introduced several new characters and I'd love to see their doors.
Graphic: Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Bullying
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement
Minor: Eating disorder, Blood, Violence, and Suicide attempt
TW for strong similarities to conversion therapy.caidyn'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
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia and Gaslighting
Moderate: Eating disorder
bluejayreads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Body shaming
Minor: Body horror, Eating disorder, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
kadtide's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Confinement and Gaslighting
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Body horror, and Eating disorder
purplatypus'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Violence
anni_swanilda's review against another edition
- 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: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Suicide, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, and Domestic abuse