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amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Bullying, and Police brutality
Minor: Death of parent, Body horror, Kidnapping, Confinement, Grief, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, and Murder
keenanmaree's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
This book was so wonderful. Itβs a beautiful exploration of Black female friendship, family, and intersectionality. The characters all feel so real (even the ones who are really mythical beings) and multidimensional, and the story is so gripping that I blew through it faster than Iβve read any other book in a long time, because I just HAD to know what happened next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, and Violence
caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
π Wow, this book totally blew me away. This what if Black women were sirens idea is an incredible way to play with the way we often label Black women superhuman and then punish them for it.
π Obviously, it's a heavier book than your usual YA fantasy, but wow is it worth it if you're up for it.
π I loved both Tavia and Effie, and watching them find themselves - their true selves. On top of the larger social issues the girls are dealing with, Morrow also totally nails those awkward teenage feelings, especially the parts about how suddenly your best friend can be a stranger to you.
π I feel like I say this a lot, but I truly have never read anything like this book. I cannot wait for book two and to return to this world.
π Obviously, it's a heavier book than your usual YA fantasy, but wow is it worth it if you're up for it.
π I loved both Tavia and Effie, and watching them find themselves - their true selves. On top of the larger social issues the girls are dealing with, Morrow also totally nails those awkward teenage feelings, especially the parts about how suddenly your best friend can be a stranger to you.
π I feel like I say this a lot, but I truly have never read anything like this book. I cannot wait for book two and to return to this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Violence
sofiaxaguilar's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Police brutality
zombiezami's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Hate crime
Moderate: Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
typedtruths's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
quick thoughts:
of all the books to be disappointed by, i really didn't think this would be the one.
PROS:
β’ the sisterhood. i'm a sucker for family in books, and Effie & Tavia's sisterly relationship was a big focus of this story. also, the emphasis on bond > blood was perfect.
β’ the premise & themes. the idea of using mythological creatures as a metaphor for misogynoir worked so well, especially how siren powers were used to justify Black women being silenced. it did a good job of exploring sexism & racism, including a really powerful protest scene.
β’ urban fantasy elements. as much as i adore a good werewolf, fae & vampire urban fantasy, the fact we had gargoyles, elokos & sirens instead added a different layer.
CONS:
β’ the plot. the clunky, disjointed way scenes jumped around made the dozens of subplots knot in an impossible tangle. i could barely follow what the hell was happening at any given point. i read the last 50 pages twice and i still couldn't explain the ending.
β’ the world-building. while i adored the bare bones of the premise, the execution was lacking. i don't usually mind being thrown into a world and slowly piecing the world together from context, but when there is no context or any background, it makes it a little difficult to follow.
β’ the writing. my personal preference for writing styles sways more toward the lush, descriptive side. the pacing was so rapid, there was no time to build the landscapes or develop the characters in the way i personally prefer. i live for those slower moments so the fact i couldn't picture anything pulled me out of the story. i also hated how the characters explained their jokes in parenthesis.
β’ the characters. if the chapters weren't labelled, i don't think i could have told effie & tavia apart. their voices weren't distinctive.
- the secondary characters. i can't lie, i liked wallace but i don't know why. we know nothing about him! or any of the characters really. the cast fell flat.
there is no denying this is an important read, however, so i recommend reading some #ownvoices reviews. you can check out leelynn @ sometimes leelynn reads's review here and sammie @ the bookwyrm's den's review here.
β· Representation: Tavia (mc) & Effie (mc) Black; Wallace (li) Latinx; Black & BIPOC scs.
Blog β’ Trigger Warning Database β’ Twitter β’ Instagram
of all the books to be disappointed by, i really didn't think this would be the one.
PROS:
β’ the sisterhood. i'm a sucker for family in books, and Effie & Tavia's sisterly relationship was a big focus of this story. also, the emphasis on bond > blood was perfect.
β’ the premise & themes. the idea of using mythological creatures as a metaphor for misogynoir worked so well, especially how siren powers were used to justify Black women being silenced. it did a good job of exploring sexism & racism, including a really powerful protest scene.
β’ urban fantasy elements. as much as i adore a good werewolf, fae & vampire urban fantasy, the fact we had gargoyles, elokos & sirens instead added a different layer.
CONS:
β’ the plot. the clunky, disjointed way scenes jumped around made the dozens of subplots knot in an impossible tangle. i could barely follow what the hell was happening at any given point. i read the last 50 pages twice and i still couldn't explain the ending.
β’ the world-building. while i adored the bare bones of the premise, the execution was lacking. i don't usually mind being thrown into a world and slowly piecing the world together from context, but when there is no context or any background, it makes it a little difficult to follow.
β’ the writing. my personal preference for writing styles sways more toward the lush, descriptive side. the pacing was so rapid, there was no time to build the landscapes or develop the characters in the way i personally prefer. i live for those slower moments so the fact i couldn't picture anything pulled me out of the story. i also hated how the characters explained their jokes in parenthesis.
β’ the characters. if the chapters weren't labelled, i don't think i could have told effie & tavia apart. their voices weren't distinctive.
- the secondary characters. i can't lie, i liked wallace but i don't know why. we know nothing about him! or any of the characters really. the cast fell flat.
there is no denying this is an important read, however, so i recommend reading some #ownvoices reviews. you can check out leelynn @ sometimes leelynn reads's review here and sammie @ the bookwyrm's den's review here.
β· Representation: Tavia (mc) & Effie (mc) Black; Wallace (li) Latinx; Black & BIPOC scs.
Blog β’ Trigger Warning Database β’ Twitter β’ Instagram
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, and Suicide
Moderate: Police brutality, Self harm, and Bullying
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
βΈ Trigger warnings forbabayagaofficial's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fatphobia and Kidnapping
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