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acresofclams's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Suicide
esv_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Colonisation, Gaslighting, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Suicide, Racial slurs, and Slavery
lindsaybethlyons's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Bullying, and Racism
Minor: War, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide, and Violence
javanaaa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide
winterwoodbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Violence, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Murder, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Biphobia, Bullying, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, and Sexism
idk_indigo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
She's such an unlikeable person & an unreliable narrator because she just never once stops assuming what other people are thinking (and it is always, always about her). Self-centered jester vibes (no slay queen girly pop for Ms. Juniper). Which I think is something all of us struggle with, and on a more intrapersonal level says a lot about how we are far more likely to react disastrously when we assume negative intent. Like, maybe June needs to remind herself that, shocking as it may be, other people are not actually thinking about her constantly? Idk, might be a little far-fetched but...
I also loved the audiobook narrator for this; she was amazing and I think she did such a perfect job of narrating a non-self-actualized villain. Slay! Even more loved because homegirl June was so morally grey but there wasn't anything she did that was like any good at all, so like probably would've been a villain if we hadn't seen her internal narrative.
And the insider perspective RFK has about the publishing industry, etc. lent such a great world of knowledge towards the book & Athena/June's relationship. It was also so far removed towards any of her other works (of which I've only read Babel, but would be excited to dive into The Poppy Wars) that like...omg... the talent this woman has.
Not quite 5 stars because of Candice's
Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
Minor: Suicide
The CW for rape/sexual assault: was off-page, more aftermath than height.eajames2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Rape
ausnein's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault and War
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide
booktafayeettazaye's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide and Rape
thatswhatshanread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Although my review may be full of basic bookish rambling about the perpetual spiral of the so-called delulu in regards to the main character who is a writer, the writing in this book by the witty R. F. Kuang is so sharp, timely, and addictive that you certainly feel like you’re delulu too. (Okay I’ll stop using that word now.)
So this novel is basically a ridiculously well-written reddit thread of “AITA for stealing the manuscript of my dead Asian friend and passing it off as my own since I’m a woman, but I’m also very much a cishet white woman?”
GIRLLLLL. Kuang crafted such a punchy, visceral novel about race, loneliness, envy, and the pros and cons of the publishing industry. I was glued to every page, almost like watching a train wreck. It’s like, chapter after chapter, our white MC (June) goes deeper and deeper into her web of lies and you’re like “there’s no way she gets away with this” in a non-Scooby Doo villain kind of way, and then SHE DOES!! She just keeps at it!! The secondhand embarrassment and utter frustration was so real, especially in the way that could absolutely happen in real life, which is messed up but also shows the reality of diversity in today’s society—not always as advanced or progressive as we perceive it to be when it’s not directly related to us. This narrative was such an interesting piece on how far someone will go to save their reputation, when said reputation is a fabricated construct in and of itself. Fascinating.
Parts did remind me of “American Fiction”, which is another great example of the assumptions made about POC writers, just in a sort-of opposite form. In any case, I highly recommend both.
TL;DR June Hayward is kind-of the Hannah Horvath of this story, but somehow even worse. If you liked HBO’s “Girls” for the writing and not for the characters, this book is for you.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcohol, Self harm, Death of parent, Abandonment, Murder, and Suicide