Reviews with content warning for Violence - Raparigas Selvagens

I finished this book yesterday and I’m still trying to collect my thoughts. I loved it, that’s for sure. I think the characters were really well written and the plot too, to the point where it was almost terrifying (😅). There were scenes that had me giggling, sobbing or muttering “what the fuck” over and over again under my breath (just ask my family, it’s true). Seriously though, this book was wonderful and I cannot describe in words how much the characters now mean to me and how this book will remain in my thoughts for…a while.

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mrexroat's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This gets 3.5 because of the pace and the ending. At first the book was kinda slow-paced, but then as the story went on, it got faster. I did really like this book though, even though it got pretty morbid at the end

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suzylit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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lauren_shilling's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was incredible! I was actually shocked by how much I enjoyed it! I haven't been enjoying YA books as much recently, and this isn't usually my favorite genre, but this book really reminded me why it's so important to step out of my comfort zone and read books I wouldn't normally pick up. This book is sapphic and feminist and just so incredibly good. I loved how the author chose to handle the relationships between all of the girls in this book, and not just the main character and her two friends. I loved how all of the girls interacted, and how it was clear that morals were so blurry because of everything the girls were going through. I absolutely loved following Hetty. She was such an interesting character, because it's clear she is a very good person who is forced into a situation where good people aren't always the ones who make it, so she has to adapt in ways a person should never have to do. Despite that, her capacity to love remains in tact, and she loves her friends so deeply. She is one of my favorite main characters of the year, I think, and she really made this book for me. The sapphic elements of this book were amazing too, and I think keeping it to a minimum was a good choice in this story. While I did love the slight romance happening, it really took a backseat because of everything else going on in the story. While this might be seen as a negative for some people, I really loved how it played out. A romance really should not be a priority when in a situation like this, and I liked how the characters did seem to acknowledge that in a minimal way. They were much more focused on everything happening around them, but their feelings for each other were still very much there. I loved how it shone through sometimes, because it felt like a glimpse into what should be instead of what is, as well as into the humanity of two people who's humanity was oftentimes in question. Every character in this book is, in some way, morally gray, and I found it so interesting to decipher which ones are that way because that's just who they are and which ones are that way because they're forced to be. The ending of this book was absolutely perfect in my opinion. It was wonderfully done. Before getting to the final few chapters, I was leaning towards giving this book a somewhere between 4 and a 4.5 stars, but after I finished it, I knew it was definitely a five star. I really loved this book, and I would highly recommend it!
Also, side note, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It's one of my favorite covers I've ever seen.

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