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mrs_meg_walsworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Blood and Gore
Minor: Alcohol, Body horror, and Blood
booksandladders's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Content Warning: death of a loved one (mentioned, happened off screen), violence, gore, blood, isolation, betrayal, parental alienation
I remember participating in the polls for this on twitter and I am so glad I finally read this! A good mixture of fantastical elements, interesting lore, and good character development. This was definitely a good mixture of pacing with fast action-packed trials and some slow burn romances and relationship development.
I really liked Winnie and thought she was a good main character to follow. She had the right amount of want and ability to actually get things done. I appreciated the way she was trained, the way she learned on her own, and how she didn't want to give up on her dream. I am definitely interested to see how she blossoms even more in the rest of the series!
The background information and world-building is something I'm highly invested in. So many different moving pieces and the book doesn't treat us as though we can't figure out context and clues. I appreciated being dropped into the middle and learning pieces along the way. Winnie doesn't have it all figured out and neither do we, but we get to learn together.
The lingering questions about Winnie's dad, the obvious coverups throughout the community, and what's going to happen next make this a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Susan Dennard is a master of weaving different storylines together to create something really magical as a reader's experience.
This is definitely a recommendation from me! I am so glad I already had book 2 ready to go! I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to wait for book 3.
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Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Bullying
snipinfool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
At sixteen, Luminaries could participate in three successive hunter trials to become a nightmare hunter. If one failed a trial, they lost their only chance of completing the tests. Winnie planned to enter the trials in hopes of restoring her family's name by becoming a hunter. There were no rules stating an outcast could not participate. Because they had been exiled, Winnie did not have the benefit of the training the other participants had. She hoped the training she did on her own would be enough to keep from being killed by the nightly horrors. When Winnie wandered the forest looking for monsters in the first trail, she encountered a creature that she had never seen in the Nightmare Compendium, a listing and description of all known nightmarish creatures. Would anyone believe what she saw?
This was just ok. The plot was an interesting premise, but the story was dull and somewhat one note. I didn't feel connected to the characters. Most of the book focused on Winnie and her anxiety about participating in the three trials. The reader got to know a little about her mother and brother, but I wanted to know more about them. The additional characters only served to show how poorly Winnie and her family were treated and how their life was miserable. There was mention of Winnie's father and potential contact, but that goes no where in the story. Maybe that will come up in a sequel. The story seemed to glide along the surface without the details that would make one want to pick it up again once you set it down. I might not have finished it had it not been a book club selection.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, and Death
Minor: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
emma97louise'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
4.75
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty
disnelyse'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
bookish_paws'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse
bookcaptivated'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? No
3.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying
taryn_g'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, and Drug use
Minor: Medical content
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Death and Blood