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kshertz'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
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Body shaming
ukponge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Racism, and Sexual content
sydapel'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
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
lizzie_b99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
thereadinghammock'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
Being able to go into a retelling of a classic like Sense & Sensibility without knowing ANYTHING felt a little sacrilegious, but also felt great because I wasn't anticipating the story beats, just enjoying how it unfolded (with some yelling at my steering wheel as I listened on my commutes).
Nora and Yanne's sisterly bond was familiar and relatable. My heart ached for Bear as his story and plight with Lou unfolded over the course of the novel, especially as everything seemed to unravel around him the harder he tried. A lot of it was a mess of his own making, and I saw everyone trying to make the best of a lot of bad situations, but it just goes to show that people pleasing doesn't really get you anywhere and just leaves a lot of people disappointed.
I appreciated the care, research, and effort that Nikki put in to not glamorize, white wash, or fetishize Rez life. It felt humanized, and like a real snapshot of what life can often look like for the Indigenous people of the US who are trying to preserve what little the government had left them of their ancestral lands and cultural practices.
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
schweibertsm'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
3.75
Moderate: Racism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
babeinlibrary'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
4.75
Moderate: Classism, Medical content, Colonisation, and Racism
wanderlust_romance'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.75
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
reading_historical_romance'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
Moderate: Sexual content and Bullying
Minor: Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Classism, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Panic attacks/disorders
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A retelling of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY about Nora Dash and her sister Yanne, who learn they were their father’s second family and move to Maine to renovate the inn that is their inheritance.
This was so much fun and I was captivated from beginning to end. Nikki Payne writes with so much humor and I found myself laughing out loud so many times, while simultaneously so impressed by the way she handled difficult topics like race, colonization/the treatment of Native Americans, and sexual exploitation. I loved Nora and Bear and loved watching their journey unfold. All the small moments between them (“Nora Dash, I would love for you to braid my hair one day.”) grabbed my heart and refused to let it go.
As with Payne’s debut PRIDE AND PROTEST, this book is also an excellent retelling, hitting all the best notes of the source material and adding smart and entertaining twists for the modern era and the style of the new story.
Basically, I’m a huge Nikki Payne fangirl now, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I can’t recommend her books highly enough!
CW: Classism; colonization; sexism/misogyny; sexual harassment; mentions of infidelity
Graphic: Colonisation, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Medical content, Sexism, and Classism