Scan barcode
cadimy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
I get what the author was trying to do with the heavy misogyny and how it affects the MC deeply, so I did appreciate that at times. Unfortunately I had no connection to any of the characters- they fell so flat and there was no chemistry to be found.
Also, little to no backstory on the fairy king?? Why was he hanging around? He was apparently “stuck” on the estate because of the trees and berries everywhere but that doesn’t explain how he escaped to almost steal the MC? She said she saw him all of the time, but how? Not much story building, and the backstory of the north vs south seemed unnecessary other than to sprinkle in some racism for the characters.
I listened to the audiobook on a road trip, and the fact that I finished it gives it 2 stars, maybe 2.5. I was kind of hoping for a dark ending where her love interest was over taken by the fairy king.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Death, Car accident, Bullying, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Animal death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
reddeddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, War, Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, and Deportation
maresuju's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Sexism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Animal death, and Abandonment
quechl's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
that being said i definitely have a few nitpicks. preston could have been more fleshed out; i wanted more of him, his thoughts and perspective and we just dont see that. i really liked him as a character, but we dont ever really get to see what hes thinking, which i found to be a real shame. the same can be said about the worldbuilding; i LOVE that stuff, and what we do get is really interesting!!! the different saints, local traditions, cultural differences, all of it really tickles me, and its a real shame that the audience (and by that i mean me) wasnt given much chance to read more about it. i want to know about this world, and i felt like it could have been used to further prestons background as well! we had snippets of him telling us sayings, but that was it!! hes supposed to be a passionate lit major!! let him dump info on us!!! i get why it was done, considering the pacing of the book, but its a real shame nonetheless.
and finally, my most major gripe is that the 'twist' was just... predictable. i thought it was going to be a red herring, but no, that was the actual twist, which i found frustrating, especially because effy thinks about the obvious answer like partially once, and then never again. it felt like these clever characters kept missing the clearest answer, and that annoyed me, because the rest of this book really is great. its moody and enticing and tense, and the blurring lines between real and fake is really engaging.
Graphic: Misogyny and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Animal death
star_charter152's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism and Child death
Minor: Animal death
loveat1stwrite's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Terminal illness
lornography's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Moderate: Animal death
tadah'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: Misogyny
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Blood, and War
missgnomers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I think the themes are well handled in this lite thriller
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal death
ladypalutena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
There are three main issues I have:
1. The pacing. The first chapter starts off with Effy saying she's going to enter a contest, then the second chapter starts with her winning the contest. The second chapter ends with there being a few weeks until she leaves for the Bottom Hundred, and the third chapter opens with her on the train. It's so disjointed, it's hard to keep track of time in any way.
2. Effy. I know not every protagonist can be a strong independent woman, but there are no redeeming qualities for Effy for 90% of the book.
3. The "love story." It's forced. Like, beyond forced.
The most egregious thing, I think, is that
Graphic: Sexual assault and Gaslighting
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Animal death