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ra22ouille's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- 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
I was so wrapped into this story from the get go, everything felt so clear with the masterful worldbuilding woven together into the actions of the characters.
Tan-tan brought so much love with her and set a transformation on the world. She was a force of change to people, to new halfway tree, and also Toussaint and granny nanny. Watching her learn to love was hopeful and strengthening.
Abitefa and Tan-tan's relationship made me warm and tender. I wanted more of them together and at the end I really missed Abitefa's involvement because I wanted her to more vocally there and obviously be a friend and equal, not masquerading as a pet (it was unclear to me if she was or not which I found dissatisfying).
The timeline surprised me by how short a time period it was. The way Tan-Tan grew into a legend felt like it should have lasted a lifetime. I think it's really poignant that it all happened during her pregnancy and it says a lot about transformation and life and forgiveness, but I have conflicting feelings bc it was a little confusing and dissatisfying.
Overall this was such an incredible incredible story and it will stay with me.
Tan-tan brought so much love with her and set a transformation on the world. She was a force of change to people, to new halfway tree, and also Toussaint and granny nanny. Watching her learn to love was hopeful and strengthening.
Abitefa and Tan-tan's relationship made me warm and tender. I wanted more of them together and at the end I really missed Abitefa's involvement because I wanted her to more vocally there and obviously be a friend and equal, not masquerading as a pet (it was unclear to me if she was or not which I found dissatisfying).
Overall this was such an incredible incredible story and it will stay with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Incest, Rape, Death, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Blood and Abortion
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Unlike anything I've ever read before, Midnight Robber is deceptively simple and straightforward, like a children's
story, but full of terrifying monsters. The worst monster of all is, of course, the human.
The girl Tan-Tan grows up in an aristocratic home on Toussaint, a Creole-like planet - but all is not well in this seeming paradise. Soon enough, she and her father are exiled to a prison planet just like Toussaint, but with poisonous plants and vicious, deadly animals, having to rely on the douens, the non-human natives, and their fellow prisoners to navigate their new life.
In many ways it's a horrifying coming-of-age tale yet there's a lot of love as well, especially in the lives of the douens. Their community is a gorgeous "city" of many homes in an enormous tree where everyone is satisfied with their lives. It reminded me of the movie Avatar, where the humans destroy anything beautiful because of their grasping, selfish nature, in contrast with the respectful natives living in harmonious coexistence with their home.
There's a lot more to it than that. A very thought-provoking read, one I may return to in a couple of years.
story, but full of terrifying monsters. The worst monster of all is, of course, the human.
The girl Tan-Tan grows up in an aristocratic home on Toussaint, a Creole-like planet - but all is not well in this seeming paradise. Soon enough, she and her father are exiled to a prison planet just like Toussaint, but with poisonous plants and vicious, deadly animals, having to rely on the douens, the non-human natives, and their fellow prisoners to navigate their new life.
In many ways it's a horrifying coming-of-age tale yet there's a lot of love as well, especially in the lives of the douens. Their community is a gorgeous "city" of many homes in an enormous tree where everyone is satisfied with their lives. It reminded me of the movie Avatar, where the humans destroy anything beautiful because of their grasping, selfish nature, in contrast with the respectful natives living in harmonious coexistence with their home.
There's a lot more to it than that. A very thought-provoking read, one I may return to in a couple of years.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Abortion, Child abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Gore, Incest, and Violence
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
arcinzole's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
Such a beautiful work. Sci-fi steeped in Afro-Caribbean culture, history, and hope. The mixed Creole patois got into my head and made me feel I was living the story. Major TWs, go in prepared, but the resolutions are sensitive, nuanced, and satisfying - and dramatic in a way that fits the deep folkloric feel as well as the believably human complexity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Incest, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, and Blood
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