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ajrbrennan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
kghunter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“[…]the truth was very costly at times. How terrible, to navigate the world without a story to comfort you.”
If you were to remove all of the sentences in this book that described one of the characters blushing, it would probably be about half its current length. I don’t know if this is just a more common experience of fair skinned people or what but I think a group-read of this in which everyone took a shot every time someone blushes would be a pretty fun way to get absolutely shittered with your friends if they also happen to be into horny fantasy mystery novels that involve a lot of quivering and clenched fists.
Blushing and quivering aside this was a truly enjoyable read. Reid is brilliant at capturing the “dark academia” imagery and I loved how she used such a beautifully painted, fantastical storyline to examine themes of misogyny, victim-shaming, childhood trauma, and isolation, as well as gender-based violence, bigotry, and oppression. As a reader who originally chose to read this book to scratch my annually occurring wintertime dark academia itch, its depth and sincerity came as a pleasant surprise.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
eedle_cacleberry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
samsbookcorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
tinyfox72's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Reasons for lower score:
Pacing was a bit all over the place.
Ending was disappointing, and kind of defeated the point of the mystery.
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault and Xenophobia
boyles_book_nook'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
4.25
Closed door romance
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
kat42's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
However, the characters and romance were dull to me. Effy's prejudice is somehow okay now that she's fucked Preston? Also the sexual abuse she has dealt with is pretty key to her character, but then when she has consensual sex with Preston, the word Reid chose to describe it was "assault"??? My other issue is that everything happened so easily for the characters at the end. The conflict gets resolved in like two pages, and someone literally just tells Effy and Preston all the answers to everything instead of the two of them having to piece it together on their own.
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse and Mental illness
kelseydaffodil's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wow. WOW. what a book. i loved so much of this. the vibes, the setting, how it was clearly not in our world yet held some of our own things (cameras, cars, phones). the fact that the fairy king was not romanticised, not like other books. the constant guessing. preston. oh wow, what a sweet guy. exactly what effy needed to ground her. and effy. what an incredible protagonist. i loved her so much.
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
thegabscast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny and Gaslighting
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Stalking
allisonsmith120's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail