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sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pros:
- writing is poignant, powerful and weaves a compelling narrative, while never being especially verbose or wandering too far. The dialogue felt real enough for the period, but still intense and readable.
- the characters were all brilliant, they come to life gradually and several change over the period of the story,
- Lisbet showed great growth
- the setting, the history and the depiction of the dancing mania was all extremely evocative and intense, I could picture it all so well and you feel as if you're down there in the pulsing, dangerous crowds, or drowning in the smell of melting beeswax.
- lisbet's alliance with the bees and later the dog, Ulf, added another beautiful layer to her character and her skills as a beekeeper helped her realise her own worth, beyond being a wife and a mother.
- I loved the women's friendships, Lisbet's true love for Ida despite her mixture of jealousy and awe towards her friend, and Nethe's developing care and love for Lisbet, despite her initial fear of closeness.
- the significant tragedies of the book are balanced with successes, which stopped me from feeling betrayed at the end, which I sometimes am with tragic books. bitter sweet, I can do!
- Plater's grim awfulness is written in a way that is familiar but still ghastly, and the dread of his arrival is tangible every time he arrives.
cons:
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- also wish that the role of the eldest daughter as a replacement mother might have been examined a little.
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- it was of course upsetting, though somewhat expected from how saintly she is set up as, that Ida died. as Lisbet and Eren survived, couldnt Nethe and Ida have? it fitted with the story ofc, but it's a shame that it continues the 'bury your gays'
overall, I truly loved this haunting, sad, and powerful historical novel about the power of female friendship and love against loss, hardships and intolerance.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Hate crime, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Outing, Child death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Racism, Terminal illness, War, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Addiction, Police brutality, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Medical content
lorriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Islamophobia, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death of parent, Dementia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Grief, Lesbophobia, Murder, Suicide, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Classism, War, Child abuse, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Excrement, Colonisation, and Slavery
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Violence, Miscarriage, and Sexism
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, and Xenophobia
Minor: War and Alcohol
lou_o_donnell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War, Hate crime, Grief, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Animal death, Murder, Outing, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Drug use, Miscarriage, Child death, Body horror, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Domestic abuse