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rori_scarlet's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
tired_cicada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Lost half a star for the use of the nickname Little one for the love interest. Such an ick particularly when he literally had another nickname for her!!! “My star”? Amazing! Just use that instead of infantilizing her
The plot has potential, I’ll try out book two and see if there is any pay off. The plot twist in this was laughably obvious. Like it was actually painful y’all.
Lots of shock value deaths that did nothing to the plot. “Oh no my brother died HORRIBLY let me be upset about that for six seconds and then move on to how good this rando I met in a barn looks naked” like, girl!
Furthermore why is EVERYONE so weird and possessive? about the fmc’s body, her knowledge, everything. Everybody wants to keep this girl in a cage!The mmc (I listened to this book so I don’t know how to spell their names, deal with it) goes on and on about how he gave her choice like that is such a gracious thing to do…. We’ll forget that the entire time they were traveling he was all “I’ll wait until you’re begging for it, but it’s totally inevitable that you’ll come to me. And also I won’t let you be with anyone else if you don’t pick me” yeah, total freedom there pal thanks
Was this great? Nah. Was it entertaining enough? Yeah.
Had nice line writing, and had the possibility for some fun world building if it goes that direction.
The plot has potential, I’ll try out book two and see if there is any pay off. The plot twist in this was laughably obvious. Like it was actually painful y’all.
Furthermore why is EVERYONE so weird and possessive? about the fmc’s body, her knowledge, everything. Everybody wants to keep this girl in a cage!
Was this great? Nah. Was it entertaining enough? Yeah.
Had nice line writing, and had the possibility for some fun world building if it goes that direction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
lisaloveslions's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Pedophilia
bekkz27's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
If you love disgusting Male Main Characters that are a walking Red Flag, then this book is for you. I only read it all because I wanted to know if I had called the "huge reveal" only 23% of the way in. It is insane how predictable this book was.
I haven't been this angry about a book for a long time. This book is a sad impression of the most popular books like ACOTAR or FBAA. TikTok needs to get their heads out of the dumpsters because that is exactly where this book emerged.
List of Transgressions:
1) Female Main Character = Mary Sue
She started this entire book as a really interesting character. Struggling through a very real grooming situation, she starts as a strong woman that refuses to take shit. Enter in a hot man. Just like that, she becomes a mewling idiot. Every bit of gumption and strength became a thing of the past as she turned into a doe-eyed schoolgirl in love with the first hottie to show her basic human kindness. *gag* The author attempts to hold onto the strong Estrella that shows up in the first 5 chapters by having her fight random people. It seems so out of context when you think about her upbringing in a very strict town. The logic is not logical here.
That isn't even bringing into account the blind way she refuses to use her brain throughout. There are COUNTLESS situations that made me question Caelum. Why does she never question this man who shows up and does things that are a tad too perfect? He is magically super good with a sword. How is that? He refuses to talk about his family or his past. Why does she just accept that? He is instantly in love with her. Why? He knows nothing about her and yet, he is ready to take her to bed the minute they meet. That seems fishy. What do you think Estrella? Nope. Perfectly logic. Even other characters bring up his bad behavior and she refuses to look at the FACTS presented to her. I hate this trope of a woman becoming a damn idiot because they found a man. She is a cookie-cutter Female Main Character who has no traits outside of being a love interest the instant Caelum arrives.
2) The Writing Style
I understand that Harper Woods is trying to reach out to the "common folk" here with her writing, but the offhandish way that common curse words are thrown into this book is jarring. The restrictive life and village that Estrella is raised in would not give her the vocabulary that is used. Also, pussy? She is too embarrassed to undress in front of people. Why would she use that word to describe herself? It doesn't fit the background set out for the character.
Let's talk about Caelum's nicknames for Estrella. "My star" passes the vibe check on this one because it speaks to an understanding of the true meaning of that name. I am a huge fan of nicknames. However, "little one" is a huge ick. He calls her it during sex and more than her actual name. That is not cute or sexy. It is the nickname for a child. I understand she is LIKE a child in her understanding of the world, but that does not make the nickname okay. It is really gross.
3) Sex
This book uses sex when the author doesn't know what else to do. When stuck on what should happen next, sexual tension or sex in general is the only answer. I also hate that Caelum uses sex to avoid answering questions that Estrella asks him. Plus, the sex scene in the public bath cheapened the relationship. Estrella WAS a quiet and reserved girl due to her upbringing. I respected that. However, Caelum goes from not wanting a single man to even seeing her slightly naked or touching her to railing her in the public bath to make a statement. Gross and not necessary.
4) (The biggest issue!) Caelum
Walking red flag alert. Nothing about this guy screams sexy love interest. He spends the majority of the book being overly protective and possessive. She is a person, not a horse. Through his constant gaslighting and avoidance, I felt like the author was trying to force the reader to think he was a good person. NOPE! He does nothing but objectify the main character and tell her how he will have sex with her. He constantly talks about how she will be begging him to fuck her and pretends it is romantic. RED FLAG! He gaslights the main character into trusting him while he lies to her the entire time. Whenever others beg Estrella to question what she is being presented about him, he gets violent. Um, not sexy. That is abusive behavior. I understand that Estrella's love map is super messed up because she was groomed as a child, but this is something else. She happily skips into an abusive relationship with Caelum and thinks it is true love. Ew. I cannot say enough about how Caelum is this unrealistic guy. Slong is so long it hits his knees and apparently, he is tall enough for Estrella to comfortably rest her head against his stomach while they are both standing. Who is Caelum? Slenderman!? UNREALISTIC!
I haven't been this angry about a book for a long time. This book is a sad impression of the most popular books like ACOTAR or FBAA. TikTok needs to get their heads out of the dumpsters because that is exactly where this book emerged.
List of Transgressions:
1) Female Main Character = Mary Sue
She started this entire book as a really interesting character. Struggling through a very real grooming situation, she starts as a strong woman that refuses to take shit. Enter in a hot man. Just like that, she becomes a mewling idiot. Every bit of gumption and strength became a thing of the past as she turned into a doe-eyed schoolgirl in love with the first hottie to show her basic human kindness. *gag* The author attempts to hold onto the strong Estrella that shows up in the first 5 chapters by having her fight random people. It seems so out of context when you think about her upbringing in a very strict town. The logic is not logical here.
That isn't even bringing into account the blind way she refuses to use her brain throughout. There are COUNTLESS situations that made me question Caelum. Why does she never question this man who shows up and does things that are a tad too perfect? He is magically super good with a sword. How is that? He refuses to talk about his family or his past. Why does she just accept that? He is instantly in love with her. Why? He knows nothing about her and yet, he is ready to take her to bed the minute they meet. That seems fishy. What do you think Estrella? Nope. Perfectly logic. Even other characters bring up his bad behavior and she refuses to look at the FACTS presented to her. I hate this trope of a woman becoming a damn idiot because they found a man. She is a cookie-cutter Female Main Character who has no traits outside of being a love interest the instant Caelum arrives.
2) The Writing Style
I understand that Harper Woods is trying to reach out to the "common folk" here with her writing, but the offhandish way that common curse words are thrown into this book is jarring. The restrictive life and village that Estrella is raised in would not give her the vocabulary that is used. Also, pussy? She is too embarrassed to undress in front of people. Why would she use that word to describe herself? It doesn't fit the background set out for the character.
Let's talk about Caelum's nicknames for Estrella. "My star" passes the vibe check on this one because it speaks to an understanding of the true meaning of that name. I am a huge fan of nicknames. However, "little one" is a huge ick. He calls her it during sex and more than her actual name. That is not cute or sexy. It is the nickname for a child. I understand she is LIKE a child in her understanding of the world, but that does not make the nickname okay. It is really gross.
3) Sex
This book uses sex when the author doesn't know what else to do. When stuck on what should happen next, sexual tension or sex in general is the only answer. I also hate that Caelum uses sex to avoid answering questions that Estrella asks him. Plus, the sex scene in the public bath cheapened the relationship. Estrella WAS a quiet and reserved girl due to her upbringing. I respected that. However, Caelum goes from not wanting a single man to even seeing her slightly naked or touching her to railing her in the public bath to make a statement. Gross and not necessary.
4) (The biggest issue!) Caelum
Walking red flag alert. Nothing about this guy screams sexy love interest. He spends the majority of the book being overly protective and possessive. She is a person, not a horse. Through his constant gaslighting and avoidance, I felt like the author was trying to force the reader to think he was a good person. NOPE! He does nothing but objectify the main character and tell her how he will have sex with her. He constantly talks about how she will be begging him to fuck her and pretends it is romantic. RED FLAG! He gaslights the main character into trusting him while he lies to her the entire time. Whenever others beg Estrella to question what she is being presented about him, he gets violent. Um, not sexy. That is abusive behavior. I understand that Estrella's love map is super messed up because she was groomed as a child, but this is something else. She happily skips into an abusive relationship with Caelum and thinks it is true love. Ew. I cannot say enough about how Caelum is this unrealistic guy. Slong is so long it hits his knees and apparently, he is tall enough for Estrella to comfortably rest her head against his stomach while they are both standing. Who is Caelum? Slenderman!? UNREALISTIC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Blood, Emotional abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
kat1105's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
corey_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment
rtrotzko's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Violence
stacksandspecs's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia
cassie12_21's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Death, Abandonment, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
lostwaterbottle's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Book tok critiques said it all. My top critiques were:
- the overall sexual dynamic felt forced, coercive and imbalanced. There were times I was confused why the male lead was touching the MC when she didn’t want that. Especially when she had a history of sexual abuse.
- his nickname for her was little one and that was just gross and weird
- I thought that after being in an oppressive culture her whole life, the transition out would be more complex and nuanced. There wasn’t a moment when she reveled in just being free or when she caught her conditioning still influencing her. Overall I feel like the MC could have grown so much more than she did.
- there wasn’t a ton of worldbuilding info in the book. Everyone was keeping secrets from the MC and we didn’t know a lot till the end. I kinda just pieced it together based on other fantasy worlds.
- the MC definitely gave off I’m not like other girls vibes, and I’m the context of her upbringing that didn’t really make sense. There would definitely have been other girls like her who had secret solidarity. And being as poor as she was described would play out differently in my opinion than what she described.
- this is more of a personal pet peeve, but I really dislike when books don’t deal with basic human needs like using the bathroom, smelling gross, and menstruation. It makes me not take the characters seriously
- the overall sexual dynamic felt forced, coercive and imbalanced. There were times I was confused why the male lead was touching the MC when she didn’t want that. Especially when she had a history of sexual abuse.
- his nickname for her was little one and that was just gross and weird
- I thought that after being in an oppressive culture her whole life, the transition out would be more complex and nuanced. There wasn’t a moment when she reveled in just being free or when she caught her conditioning still influencing her. Overall I feel like the MC could have grown so much more than she did.
- there wasn’t a ton of worldbuilding info in the book. Everyone was keeping secrets from the MC and we didn’t know a lot till the end. I kinda just pieced it together based on other fantasy worlds.
- the MC definitely gave off I’m not like other girls vibes, and I’m the context of her upbringing that didn’t really make sense. There would definitely have been other girls like her who had secret solidarity. And being as poor as she was described would play out differently in my opinion than what she described.
- this is more of a personal pet peeve, but I really dislike when books don’t deal with basic human needs like using the bathroom, smelling gross, and menstruation. It makes me not take the characters seriously
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Gore