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daydaybookbay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Ava Reid writes beautiful phrases and sprinkles them throughout the chapters. Her artistic metaphors rest on the boundry of remaining applicable. The wording captures the reader, but any further, the intention would be lost. She uses imagery to convey emotion and the characters' mindsets.
The characters fell a bit flat for me. Each character was one dimensional and served only one purpose throughout the book. Preston exists to be an on-paper protective love interest. Effy is constantly reminding you how misogyny, sexism, and her beauty overshadow her genius. Every other character means nothing to me.
Effy's low-key racist. Her xenophobia is front and center, but we are
overlooking that? Why?! Time and time again, she shows her
academic rivalry" is really just her prejudice against Argantians.
I wanted more from the fairy-tale.
Is Effy a reliable narrator? Honestly, I'm left thinking the fantasy aspect is really part of Effy's imagination. She experienced great trauma from her mother, and her obsession with Myrddin's novel plays a role in her coping. I'm left to feel she really has mental health issues, and maybe the pink pills are good for her.
I wish there had been more development in the setting and the characters. The countries, the North and South, the school, the house, the land... I could never picture them. The only thing I was able to imagine was the door to the basement. There is this whole world Reid introduced in this book, but we never get a clear picture of what it's like.
I really wanted to love this book. Part of me feels I would have enjoyed it more as a physical book because I would get bored listening to it. I never got the feeling of being immersed in the story.
I love the moody vibes Reid is able to create. The feel and the way she conveys emotion is beautiful. I wish the attention to the setting had matched. I want to visualize where the characters are and how the North/South/Bottom Hundred look and compare to each other. I wanted to pull more from the text.
Moderate: Drug use, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcohol, Classism, Mental illness, Addiction, Misogyny, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Child death, and War
midnightgarden'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
rachelblair's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying
star_charter152's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism and Child death
Minor: Animal death
heyjrodriguez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault
lila_still_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, and Grief
dyanimae'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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, War, Death, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Dementia, Classism, and Abandonment
darlingmoira's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book is talked about as an enemies to lovers but once again hugely misses the mark! The “enemies” part relies on the main character being openly racist to her counterpart. For the majority of the book she talks and thinks about how her soon to be lover shouldn’t even be allowed to study at her school.
The plot could have been really well done if it removed that aspect of the story completely.
I have to acknowledge that the “feminist” aspects of this story are well done. How the main character handles a SA situation internally and then makes progress with dealing with it is portrayed very realistically. Everything about that part of the story is well done but otherwise book would have just been a 2 and nothing more.
Graphic: Colonisation, Classism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, War, and Xenophobia
kryzysowa_narzeczona'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Rape