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mshedd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Sexism
daydaybookbay's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- 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
I rated this book a 5.5 out of 10. There are many elements to this novel I enjoy, but I wish each had been explored more. By dropping the adolescent romance, more effort could be dedicated to expanding the settings and main plotlines.
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. We are to believe the Fairy King is real, so why are there literally ZERO other elements involved? Everything points to Effy actually having mental health issues where she has "episodes." If Angharad was a ghost/spirit or if Effy would have seen an alternate reality through the hagstones, these would be easy places to incorporate fantasy aspects.
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 know that's not the conclusion I'm "supposed" to reach, but...
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
nocilantroextraolives's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual harassment
The main character is fighting and defeats these things, but it's not a picnic to read it happening.alexklop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
2 Stars
I wanted to like this book so bad. I just kept finding myself more confused the more I read and then found myself not really even caring at all about what would happen next. Also not a fan of the obscure ending.
I wanted to like this book so bad. I just kept finding myself more confused the more I read and then found myself not really even caring at all about what would happen next. Also not a fan of the obscure ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny
mynameisrebecca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
- 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
This book could have benefitted so much from a prologue or map of sorts. The world building is kind of choppy and it's really hard to figure out the geography and customs of the various people. The time frame is confusing to me as well - it's clearly meant to be a fantasy world, but it's around 150-200AD yet they have modern conveniences... Almost wish that was left out entirely. Also Effy's character is middling, and it rests a lot on her mental illness as a plot device rather than part of her character which sits weirdly with me. The story however is rich and the rest of the characters are well done.
Content Warnings
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
anntharai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Jfc I went in with no expectations and only a vague idea of story as this was a reccomendation from a friend and they were right. I loved it and hated it and it made me super uncomfortable and angry as well as fired up and ready to go. I loved this reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Colonisation, Mental illness, Grief, Classism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Body shaming, and Alcohol
kkspades's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexism
aprilyang1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
“You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.”
-
I didn’t love this book, but the overall development and journey left a really strong impact on me. I especially liked how the plot kind of mirrored Effy's inner struggles. Ava Reid does a good job of insinuating what was happening through her details and plot choices, although I do think it made the plot somewhat predictable because I knew what was going to happen pretty early on.
Character wise, I didn’t really love Effy. But, while she initially seems selfish and whiny, she does go through character growth. Understandably though it is/was difficult for her to process certain emotions because of various traumatic experiences. So, while I do understand why she reacts anxiously or insecurely to a lot of the situations I don’t see those experiences as an excuse for the racial animosity she held towards Argantian’s in the beginning (yes, I know there is a war and everyone else also shared her similar sentiments but still?). I think that there would have been an even greater character arc had Effy mentioned or discussed her prejudices. She did say sorry one time (as far as I can remember), but I don’t think it’s necessarily enough to say “sorry” one and done and move on without more discussion. Especially, when I felt that she as a character constantly kept using negative remarks about being Argantian when she she was upset AND seemed to feel that it was wrong to do that in the same thought.
Past the first 30% the story picks up with the magic and suspense. While there's a bit of romance (albeit not the strongest most developed romance), the heart of the story is really Effy's determination to overcome her traumas and find her voice in a society that constantly tells her and other women no.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent
heyjrodriguez's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault
cupcakesweetheart804's review against another edition
This book just does not seem to be for me. I find the atmosphere to be quite dreary, and the chapters seem to drag a bit for me. I feel like I can already tell what the twist is, and I don't know that I care to see if I'm right or not. I might have liked this more when I was 15, but presently it is just not my jam. I can see why someone else might like it though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual assault