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bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Racism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Medical content, Chronic illness, Classism, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Death of parent, Gore, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Cursing, Death, Grief, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
broke'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
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Addiction, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Classism, and Blood
gabbychuchu'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
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia and Violence
Moderate: Racism
sunflower7skull'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: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, Death, Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, and Racism
readingqueerly'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
4.25
I mean it checks all the boxes for me: a queer historical romance with disability and POC rep that has actual good plot, friends to lovers and a badass female character (who is the MC in the sequel which I will DEFINITELY be buying).
The writing was quite compelling, a relief as one of the main reasons I put off reading this for so long is the fact that it's 500 pages long. But I enjoyed it from start to finish. There were enough propelling windings in the plot to keep it interesting and the wit and banter from the characters kept it light and breezy.
Just a good time all the way through with some action and heart.
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
superbrats'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
3.5
It was still pretty fun though and the life and death situations were important to the development of the characters and the romance.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Chronic illness
Minor: Forced institutionalization
csolomon101'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
4.5
Moderate: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
meliflowers'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? Yes
3.0
A well written book and a good story but it was a bit too predictable and cliché at times. I loved the characterisations and setting.
It's a good story but I couldn't really get into it or enjoy it as much as I'd hoped.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Racism, Homophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Outing, Islamophobia, Slavery, and Forced institutionalization
andyourstruly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The author studied history in university, so a lot of the historical details of events and cultural norms are more accurate than your average YA novel, but there are still glaring blind spots, like the author not being well-versed in clothing culture or that almost every educated person would have been fluent in French in the early 1700s, particularly if they had a French parent.
My biggest takeaway with it was that, as fantastical as so many elements were, it seems strange that the author didn't just ... write an adventure where people happened to be queer or black or women. It felt like a strange decision to hand-wave away a lot of actual problems they may have encountered but to really spend a lot of time projecting modern-day feminism onto a character from the era and bringing up homophobia and racism that wasn't even always period-accurate. Fun book, may read the sequels, not so invested that I'm prioritizing it.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexism, Ableism, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
elontheoddyssey'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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism