Scan barcode
jotoide's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I guess it was supposed to be about zelie believing in herself? Or something? I never got a clear feel of her character it seemed like she just did things
Inan was a bitch all book and his romance with zélie was rushed and weird. Amari was good but I cant say much else. Not the worst I've read but it left me wishing it was better
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Rape
asiamh'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ghostyreadsy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Torture
Minor: Sexual assault
secondhandbookshelves'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
4.0
Graphic: Death and Racism
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Torture and Blood
squinnittowinit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Original review:
Overall, this is a good story with a (unfortunately) very relatable setting: an oppressive society that treats certain people as lesser due to something inherent that they cannot control. I felt the author's pain and anger surrounding this real-world issue in the writing, and perhaps if this had been my first exposure to the mindset of the oppressed group, I might have found it more impactful. However, I personally found it a little tiring for specific reasons that I will mark as a spoiler below.
Again, it is a good story, just one I've seen many times already. Nothing about it surprised me and as much as I was rooting for them, I didn't love any of the characters by the end. I'm not sure if you're supposed to or not.
Next, there is the issue of trauma. This is a book based in racial trauma, which makes it automatically not a fun read for me. Again, I really want to stress that I'm not saying it's bad, but it's very real, and it's hard to laugh at any of the jokes or moments of levity when the whole book is about oppression and I already experience oppression nearly constantly in my real life.
Next, as I said above, nothing about this book surprised me. I was never on the edge of my seat or uncertain about the fate of the characters, because I've seen this story so many times. It hit all the beats I was expecting it to, and the only death I didn't predict was a character that I didn't care about at all.
Finally, the romance. I'm all for a good romantic subplot, but I couldn't get behind this one. It was going for "enemies to lovers" but was done with no subtlety, I felt like I was being bashed over the head with foreshadowing about this relationship. Then, the actual enemies to lovers part happened seemingly overnight, and they suddenly didn't hate each other anymore. The romance gave me some emotional whiplash and made me feel like I was missing time.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
annorabrady'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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment
overthinkereading's review
- 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
4.5
Even so, the magic and tension and love (romantic and familial) and history of Orïsha is immersive. Before I even realized it, I found myself completely invested in the characters and their mission, and the cliffhanger ending makes it easy to jump right into book 2 of the series. The Author’s Note is the most powerful part of the book, though - do not skip. (Contains spoilers).
Highly recommend.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kymberly'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Slavery and Sexual harassment
megs_baer'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
4.75
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Classism
auberginehayz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The characters were unique and relatable despite their flaws. The two main female protagonists were very compelling and I enjoyed their different points of view.
Finally, the short chapters were satisfying and contributed to it being a real page-turner!
Moderate: Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content