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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
The story and characters felt a bit one-note to me. It was also kind of hard to tell certain side characters apart. I was really looking forward to this because it was the winner of the 2024 YA Ignyte Award, but I was a bit underwhelmed. The aesthetics were cool, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this as part of a horror book club and this is not horror. I was hoping maybe the ghosts of the ballet (there has to be some) would rise up in the battle scene but nothing. More of a dark fantasy. Good thing I am okay with dark fantasy. I had a roommate in college who watched Center Stage on repeat for the first 3 months of classes. That is the extent of my ballet knowledge, and birth of my annoyance with stereoty ical ballerinas. This book added to both. The gods aspect was interesting but sometimes confusing. I don't know what Coraline got from lethe exactly. But it is well written and engaging.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
slow-paced
villain origin story, feminine rage, & supporting women’s wrongs!! love the use of ballet as a contrast to the story