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alyssadorn'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
4.75
Everything from Zetian’s backstory to her goals and relationships, her values and realizations, all growing and changing along with her (and our) knowledge of the world as a whole— So. Well. Done. I’m obsessed with her, as well as Lizhi and Shimin. I love that they’re all together and not just each with her separately or any bs like that.
And that ending! And the epilogue!! Every minute of this book was a thrill, and the writing style was so refreshing with its use of juxtaposition to bring Zetian’s sardonic humor to life in a way that made me laugh quite a bit, and I found myself using tabs what felt like every other page to mark intense imagery or pithy statements that drill straight into the heart of poignant truths (usually about gender roles and subjugation stated in a way I still can’t get out of my mind).
For example, the author will pair a list of seemingly smaller domestic moments with a bigger, life-or-death situation in a way that shows the realities of daily life in this world and its cyclical injustices— and how the daily life is not seeing those injustices.
“My mother’s mist-frail voice emerges, trying to calm him down. My brother is laughing. My grandfather has turned the livestream to peak volume. A girl is dying in a Chrysalis in the name of mankind.”
Some moments of that pithy, sardonic wit I loved:
“How am I supposed to sign up for my death if my eyebrows are uneven?”
“I don’t pity you, you dork. I cherish you.”
Or even just the chapter titles, like “the supposed pinnacle of female existence” or “a butterfly that better not be my dead sister”
I will say, the description of the foot binding in the beginning is one of the few moments in any book that have actually made me sick to my stomach, so go gently. Also the way addiction is handled in this book is somewhat problematic.
The pacing and writing style are both phenomenal!
Graphic: Addiction, War, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Colonisation and Sexual violence
iane_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Ableism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Torture, Murder, War, and Hate crime
Moderate: Classism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, and Trafficking
Minor: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Infidelity, Death of parent, Deportation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
oliviathebookwyrm'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, War, Murder, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Gore, Ableism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, Genocide, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gun violence
ufollowbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a bit of mary sue fanfic kind of vibe, but in a good way
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Ableism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Moderate: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Torture, Classism, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, and Medical content
msradiosilence'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
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Racism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Confinement, Blood, Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, War, Misogyny, Cursing, Torture, Vomit, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
kerrygetsliterary'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Body shaming, Classism, Colonisation, Murder, Torture, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, Sexism, War, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
takarakei's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Apparently this was openly marketed as a
Because I really enjoyed the world, I will continue the series because I hope that there can be some actual character development in the next book(s).
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Alcohol, Confinement, Sexism, and Torture
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Acephobia/Arophobia, Colonisation, and Biphobia
michmoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Also the entire book - what?!? My brain does not have the capacity to fully comprehend all of the many insane things that were happening throughout this book. Amazing.
I am a fan of how this book handled the (actual) love triangle too - it is the strongest shape!
Also, I do love a main character that can just be unapologetically murderous. Yes, kill and enact revenge upon everyone who has wronged you baby, go!
Highly recommend.
Graphic: Genocide, War, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Violence, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief and Sexual violence
Minor: Sexual content and Colonisation
finnsnotfinished's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Body horror, Torture, Addiction, War, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Sexism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Colonisation, Confinement, and Sexual violence