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jhuntress's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Infertility, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
2.25
This feminist take on a Western novel, filled with crime, adventure, and challenging authority, was certainly creative, but I was quite the right audience for it. Indeed, I was so distracted by the references to race, doctors, baby Jesus, the Flu and Fever, and the seeming dissolution of the United States that I was almost more focused on trying to figure out whether this was a dystopian alternative history (a Confederate win in the Civil War?) or a dystopian future (post COVID-19?), and I'm honestly still confused.
I also was pretty confused by the role of religion and by all of the characters. There were many, each with a painful background, but none was particularly well-developed, and the sub-plots detracted rather than added to the story. The one exception to this, in my opinion, was Lark's story, which surprised and intrigued me, but he, too, was an underdeveloped character who stuck around too briefly.
I appreciate the reviewer who acknowledged that this book offers a different take on the Hole in the Wall gang. I had no idea that this gang was a real concept and really disappointed that there was no Author's Note explaining that research and that choice (which guess means this is an alt-history novel?).
I picked this up because I needed a quick read to help propel me out of a slump (too many classics in a row/at a time can do that to you), and it was definitely successful in that respect. The story was engaging enough and kept me turning the pages for the few hours that this took to finish, but ultimately, I think Anna North bit off more than she could chew--infertility, religion, feminism, justice, gender fluidity, insomnia, mental health, medicine, mothering, Western adventure--and it really didn't work for me.
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Infidelity, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, and Abortion
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
kitty03'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? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Miscarriage
squish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Violence, Gun violence, and Infertility
Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism
emsim's review against another edition
Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infertility, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Violence, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Infertility, Homophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Abortion, and Ableism
ginadapooh'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence
olivedean's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
deezy'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: Gun violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Miscarriage, and Mental illness
d_stone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
internationalreads'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
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Violence