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team_worm's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
I found this compulsively readable, but in the end haven't yet decided how I fell about this book as whole.
Strengths:
Strengths:
- Beautiful prose
- A fresh take on a common style of dystopia
- I love books about the complexities of parenting
- Some great depictions of girlhood friendships
Weakneses:
- Lacked subtlety at times - I felt a little hit over the head with the themes and ideas
- Plot twists were very obvious, though perhaps that was by design
I would strongly recommend for people who liked: the memory police, the ice palace, the ones who walk away from omelas, klara and the sun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
notsarahconnor's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
An excellent book that looks at motherhood and mother-daughter relationships, though it's a bit vague at times. But it's a story that sticks!
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
em_likes_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Rape
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Infertility and Vomit
vonni's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you're like me and enjoy a pastoral, alpine, mystery book with luscious descriptions and haunting tones, this book is a must read. It's a bit slow to start, but the intrigue of the setting kept me engaged and I am so thankful that I stuck around for the whole novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Abandonment, Grief, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Infertility, Animal death, Bullying, and Pregnancy
jennikreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Rape
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
kelsoups's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Thoroughly enjoyed the themes of motherhood and what it means to leave a place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: War, Infertility, Murder, and Vomit
cowboykid's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
tarocannotread's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.5
Honestly, I have no idea what to think about this book. I think it's well crafted for the sort of story and ideas that the author wanted to tell, but there were some hiccups that have left in me something to be desired. The peril of it is that I can't really put my finger on it. I understand what the author wanted to do, what she wanted to say, what he wanted the reader to think about. I enjoyed the circular structure of the story, how it all seemed to start again.
However, I wish that the story had ended with Vera dying in the Graubach, just as her mother had, because i think this would have driven home the point even more. It would have added a sense of tragedy to the story that I think was missing, that leads the ending and by extension the story as a whole, to fall quite flat. I also wish that the author had driven home the contrast between Vera's hometown and Elsewhere more. Had described the differences between them more when Vera left the town and experienced Elsewhere, so that Vera seeing her hometown, which was once so beautiful to her, as a place falling apart at the seams, had been driven home more. It would have emphasised how Vera saw her town as beautiful only because of her lack of experience.
Another thing i noticed was that the author would sometimes be carried away in her prose and perhaps unintentionally reveal certain things that should have been left out, for the reader to think about themselves. It robbed some of the mystery to me, and came off as try-hard or too eager. There were also instances of lines that did not make sense to the story, but were rather just implemented, because they sound "quotable". That is not to say that the prose is amateurish, far from it. I realized that the author ha put a lot of thought and care into weaving this story to a specificity, which I greatly appreciate, for example the choice of names: "Vera" meaning "truth" and Ruth being just one letter from that word. "Iris" meaning "rainbow" which pierces the clouds and the sky to bring messages to the gods. it is very clever and I appreciated it.
Alas, I suppose I enjoyed the story, but I also feel quite underwhelmed. I appreciate the author's cleverness and purpose with this story, so it still has some merit to me. 3,5 out of 5 stars.
However, I wish
Another thing i noticed was that the author would sometimes be carried away in her prose and perhaps unintentionally reveal certain things that should have been left out, for the reader to think about themselves. It robbed some of the mystery to me, and came off as try-hard or too eager. There were also instances of lines that did not make sense to the story, but were rather just implemented, because they sound "quotable". That is not to say that the prose is amateurish, far from it. I realized that the author ha put a lot of thought and care into weaving this story to a specificity, which I greatly appreciate, for example the choice of names:
Alas, I suppose I enjoyed the story, but I also feel quite underwhelmed. I appreciate the author's cleverness and purpose with this story, so it still has some merit to me. 3,5 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Rape
m1923's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
immovabletype's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Bullying, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Body horror and Pregnancy
Minor: War