Scan barcode
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
4.0
4.5/5
Ugh I loved this book! The characters! The representation! I thought at first I would get bored with the plot because I was reading the book because one of the characters was Hard of Hearing like me, but I ended up enjoying the plot as well.
Ugh I loved this book! The characters! The representation! I thought at first I would get bored with the plot because I was reading the book because one of the characters was Hard of Hearing like me, but I ended up enjoying the plot as well.
spiderpirate's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
2.75
stormeno's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Bullying, Classism, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty
rjodreyflores's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
xangemthelibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Some do what's right, some do what they're told. I've been doing what I'm told for far too long." - Jørgen
This book is one I've been wanting to read since it was published, and I kept putting it off in favor of other things. It interested me because the blurb hints at a potential poly relationship, and that is so rarely seen in YA literature. This is even better than that.
This is a story of an entire generation reckoning with the harmful ideology of their hometown. Gunner and Erlend are gay. Asta is Ace. And the beautiful thing about this story is how they become family. The journey each of these three teens take to understand themselves and take charge of their own happiness is so touching. Then they find out it's NOT just the three of them against the world. They find almost as many allies as they do enemies in this town.
I loved the piety vs. sin theme that colored the backdrop of this historical fiction. Christianity destroyed so much in Europe by creating a system where any Outsider was going to hell. This town condemned an entire family because they did not follow the church.
Very slight spoilers ahead:
It ended realistically, and it was perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Classism, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty and Transphobia
lesbrary's review
4.0
This was a great found family queer YA book! I loved their queerplatonic triad. And what an exciting ending!
This book has some pretty serious injuries as well as suicidal ideation around internalized ableism, so make sure to look up content warnings if any of that might be triggering for you.
This book has some pretty serious injuries as well as suicidal ideation around internalized ableism, so make sure to look up content warnings if any of that might be triggering for you.
alicesbooknook's review
This is the type of book that doesn't deserve to be finished
counting_sunsets's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I loved the detailed put into the horse training and working with difficult horses. It’s not something that is normally included in ya historical fiction and it was refreshing to have it referenced in such a realistic way.
alienallison's review
4.0
Wow.
As an ace person, seeing Asta's struggles to understand and define herself and her desire for a QPR were so real.
Found family is one of my favorite troupes (especially in queer books) and it was done so beautifully in this book that it made me want to cry. (re: the QPR)
Finally, the characters in this book deal with a lot of trauma: injuries and chronic conditions, coming out, and just general your life gets thrown for a loop trauma. I've been through a lot of these similar traumas and the way it was in this book just made my heart ache. It was so real and this push and pull of never knowing if you're making progress and how the people around you affect you ugh it just it was written so wholly. I appreciated so much of what this book is.
(Oh and Nils? Such a bastard.)
As an ace person, seeing Asta's struggles to understand and define herself and her desire for a QPR were so real.
Found family is one of my favorite troupes (especially in queer books) and it was done so beautifully in this book that it made me want to cry. (re: the QPR)
Finally, the characters in this book deal with a lot of trauma: injuries and chronic conditions, coming out, and just general your life gets thrown for a loop trauma. I've been through a lot of these similar traumas and the way it was in this book just made my heart ache. It was so real and this push and pull of never knowing if you're making progress and how the people around you affect you ugh it just it was written so wholly. I appreciated so much of what this book is.
(Oh and Nils? Such a bastard.)
andromedace's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25