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pandemonicbaby's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a very interesting read on sexuality in general and how asexuality brings a new perspective to our understanding of society (and social expectations) and intimacy, both on a broader and on an individual level.
It presented and described many different ace experiences, which just goes to show how no one community is homogenous, and how people are able to find different ways of finding love and happiness in their own existence.
This book also helped me reevaluate my own relationship with sexuality, and reflect upon how much of it has been molded by societal expectations and fear. This read has made me maybe a little bit less scared of maybe not conforming to what society expects of me, and of looking for intimacy in relationships in the way *i* want to have intimacy in relationships; not in the way societal expectations have told me to.
It presented and described many different ace experiences, which just goes to show how no one community is homogenous, and how people are able to find different ways of finding love and happiness in their own existence.
This book also helped me reevaluate my own relationship with sexuality, and reflect upon how much of it has been molded by societal expectations and fear. This read has made me maybe a little bit less scared of maybe not conforming to what society expects of me, and of looking for intimacy in relationships in the way *i* want to have intimacy in relationships; not in the way societal expectations have told me to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Dementia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
ruthlessreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
What a gorgeous book! I'm a huge fan of Roshani Chokshi and I've been looking forward to her first adult novel since she announced she was working on it. I love her writing style--lush & vibrant, sucking you in the way a cozy, overstuffed couch will & doesn't let you go. She's a master at creating a certain tone and then carrying that tone throughout the book. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is no exception!
This gothic mystery starts with a professor who studies fairy tales & mythology as he meets & falls in love with a magical but mysterious woman, Indigo. Indigo is mysterious indeed, and she has dark secrets, instructing her husband to never dig into her past. But the professor has secrets too and when the couple has to return to Indigo's childhood home, neither of their pasts can remain hidden. This is a story of love & betrayal, of friendship & jealousy, of the stories we must tell ourselves to keep us safe & sane. I loved the way the story ended and I thought the twist was excellently plotted.
Beautiful & tragic, sumptuous & haunting, this dark romantic fantasy is perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus, The Starless Sea, or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
This gothic mystery starts with a professor who studies fairy tales & mythology as he meets & falls in love with a magical but mysterious woman, Indigo. Indigo is mysterious indeed, and she has dark secrets, instructing her husband to never dig into her past. But the professor has secrets too and when the couple has to return to Indigo's childhood home, neither of their pasts can remain hidden. This is a story of love & betrayal, of friendship & jealousy, of the stories we must tell ourselves to keep us safe & sane. I loved the way the story ended and I thought the twist was excellently plotted.
Beautiful & tragic, sumptuous & haunting, this dark romantic fantasy is perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus, The Starless Sea, or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Classism
Minor: Pedophilia and Adult/minor relationship
This book deals with dark themes: child abuse, pedophilia, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, toxic friendships & relationships, and grief. Many of them are directly tied to the plot of the book and there are some graphic details specifically of domestic abuse, toxic friendships, and death.
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