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prettycloud's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is so fun. It's noir, but make it gay. It's atmospheric—there's beautiful clothing, delicious food, and the pervasive edge of danger. Like many books of the genre, the protagonist spends a lot of it in a washing machine, getting tossed about by forces she can't understand and run around in circles looking for answers. And yet the protag gets so much agency within her constraints. She is competent, she is creative, and she's a delight to be around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Homophobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Biphobia, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Violence, Gun violence, and Suicide
This is a noir book, so it fulfills the genre conventions of people getting beat up and shot at regularly (including getting murdered that way). Many of the characters are LGBT+, and they experience period-appropriate homophobic violence and threats to their livelihood. The narrator ends up in a hospital at one point, but no harm to her body or agency takes place there. The narrator's mentor has multiple sclerosis but works in spite of it.
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