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221bpinkst's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Minor: Cursing, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Stalking, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
abbrown118'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? No
4.5
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Incest, and Rape
cepbreed's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
"History moves its course...But it is the youth who point the current in its direction."
She's done it again! Another irresistible Korean historical romance/mystery fusion by June Hur! I totally fell in love with Daehyun over and over again. There is something so compelling about an exiled prince that I think all girls agree with. From the start the tension between him and Iseul was DELICIOUS. Somehow June Hur could stick to her guns (mystery-solving-slow-burn-couple-with-headstrong-female-lead-and-concerned-but-strong-male-lead) without losing any impact. It's very obvious the tropes are recycled but that isn't to say they're boring. Hur is loyal to what she knows and we love her for it. The formula just works and boy does it work well. The devastation felt once I reached chapter 42 was stronger than my ability to brace for tragedy. All over her social media, Hur has made it known that something happens in chapter 42 but I just wasn't prepared. The entire novel was a lot darker than I expected. I really appreciate the time Hur spent researching this period of Korean history because it really shows. To know so much of the plot was rooted in the actions of real men hurts my heart. I can only hope all those girls found peace in whatever afterlife there may be.
As much as I love Hur's novels I found myself dealing with the same gripes I had during The Red Palace. Something about her writing can come off as clumsy. I think Hur wants to extend out of her comfort zone but the figurative language often feels out of place because it isn't cushioned by prose of particular note. When the writing is mostly on the level you expect a YA mystery/romance to be on it is glaringly obvious when some overly flowery metaphor is suddenly shoved in the mix. I also love a dual POV but the fact that Hur wrote Iseul exclusively in the first person and then would switch to Daehyun exclusively in the third person gave me whiplash. It was so disconnected. Plus I am a proud lover of the 3rd person POV so if Hur had made that choice consistently I would've been grateful. Daehyun's chapters deserved to be longer!
The cover art is gorgeous and reminds me of La Belle Dame Sans Merci by Francis Dicksee.
Songs:
- 바라만 본다 - 정세운
- Would've, Could've, Should've - Taylor Swift
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Rape
jartone93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
vani_vee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Grief
spec_tacles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
lemonwrlds'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
moonlitreading_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
intentionalreadinglife's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
At the same time, Hur highlights the incredible resilience of the human spirit and the lengths to which we'll go for the ones we love. The friendships forged through suffering are just as important to the story as the romance. That said, the relationship between Iseul and Daehyun is so romantic! There were key moments in the story that reminded me of the film adaptation of "Last of the Mohicans." (If you liked that movie, you'll absolutely swoon over this novel. )
I'll be thinking about this book long after the final page.
Graphic: Blood and Grief
Minor: Death, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
justinekorson'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
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
I throughly enjoyed all the characters in this book and the plot (minus the TW aspects of it). Iseul was funny and fiercely confident in an almost foolish way. I loved how she threw herself into things with barely a thought (as I feel I do the same at times). I also loved how she gave the people she didn't like nicknames instead of trying to learn their actual names. I thought that was really funny of her. I also enjoyed Prince Daehyun. He was charismatic and clever when he needed to be. The plot twist at the end really got me there. I was so stressed about the outcome of the story. Wonsik and Yuel were great characters too.
I'm really glad I ended up buying a special edition version of this book! It's going to look so pretty and I'm excited to add it to my collection.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism