Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

12 reviews

ford_defect's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The beginning of this book is pretty rough. There were multiple times I thought about dnf'ing it (especially since it is so long). The pacing really needs some work. The beginning is super slow, and the main characters were pretty unlikeable (except Hassa) up until about 200-300 pages in. I also thought the treatment the Ghostings got was unnecessary up until 80% of the way through. When it all clicked together, though, my mind was blown. But what really annoyed me was all the fatphobic descriptions of Anoor. They lessened over time, but it rubbed me the wrong way. That, and the author put a lot of emphasis on how much Anoor enjoys food, which is another fatphobic stereotype. Another thing was how Sylah's addiction was portrayed. Major spoilers ahead.

I was so proud of her when she quit her joba seed use (albeit, she only quit cuz Anoor forced her to) and kept it under control throughout almost the entire book. But then, the author has her take a joba seed, so she can defeat Jond in Anoor's place during the trial of combat. And what's even worse: once she sees a healer after having relapsed, the healer tells her to essentially microdose for the rest of her life! I would rather have Sylah find a way to work around her seizures and tremors. The Ghostings have no tongues and no hands and they have found ways to talk and take care of themselves, so why can't Sylah find a workaround for her drug-induced disability? Like you wouldn't tell an alcoholic to keep drinking to prevent the DTs. You have to cut it out completely or it can ruin your life again.

And I had really gotten into the book by that point, too.

But anyway, now I'll talk about what I really liked about the book. The blood magic system was super cool. At first, I wasn't sure how much I liked needing to draw runes to fire a gun (since that would be pretty inefficient if you were slow at writing). Though, the longer I thought about it, the more it grew on me. Bloodwerk requires skill and dexterity, so not everyone would be good at it, which is a good challenge for the MCs that didn't know how to bloodwerk before. Secondly, the atmosphere was quite unique and immersive. Especially since the author wrote about the history of the world, too. The character development was also well done (with the exception of what I said about a part of Sylah's progress). I initially hated Anoor and Sylah, but they evolved so much. I was a little disappointed we didn't see more romance between them.

I came into this book thinking it was gonna be a sapphic romance... but it was more focused on Jond and Sylah's romance. The romantic scenes are still well-written, though. For both pairings.

So 3/5
I would have rated it 4/5 since it got really good halfway through, but I just can't forgive the author for how she portrays Sylah's addiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Body horror, Self harm, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Xenophobia, Blood, Sexual content, Gore, Hate crime, Slavery, Addiction, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Torture, and Alcohol

Minor: Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

ssjd411's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Addiction, Body shaming, Classism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Hate crime

Moderate: Police brutality, Slavery, Violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

porcupine_girl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Drug abuse, War, Addiction, Blood, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Genocide, Violence, Body horror, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Slavery, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Medical content, Self harm, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Ableism, Blood, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury

musebeliever's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.0

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I could not get on board with too many things. The book is clearly not for me, and some aspects were too flawed for me to get into the story. 

I really liked the idea of the two protagonists being swapped at birth and was curious about how it would play out in their lives. However, I was not at all on board with the magic system relying on a biological element. This has big chosen one and essentialism vibes, which I just could not deal with. 

I also struggled with the writing style and the characterisation. The fact that we are privy to every single thought created, in my opinion, very unidimensional characters. Despite this shower of information, some of Sylah's actions just do not make sense to me, and too much of the plot relies on Sylah's poor choice or negligence. I can understand this happening once or twice, but how am I to believe that we are in the presence of the person who will overthrow an empire. This did not work for me. 

I found everything very bleak, which makes sense for a dystopia, but also extremely heavy-handed. This read like YA to me, which is not my favourite writing style. The clues as to where the plot is going are underlined and surrounded by blinking lights. 

I was also taken aback by the inconsistence in tone.  There is a moment in the book when Sylah reminisces her tragic past while she watches the new tyrants of the Empire being chosen. She looks at one of them and thinks, "68 never looked so good." This sounded taken out of a gossip instagram reel commenting the Met gala. It felt really out of place. There were many moments like this when I was thrown off by sudden tone changes that did not match the atmosphere of a chapter. It feels like the book has not been edited.

Finally, fatphobia and foodshaming are frankly painful to read and so unnecessary. Sylah calls Anoor the lump, foodshames her, finds her dresses ridiculous because they are big. She seems to justify her fatphobia because she thinks that Anoor is fat because she is rich and privileged. This does not seem to be coherent as Anoor is mocked by her peers. The author also depicts her as a bit silly. Someone who chooses her seat in a room to have a better view on the dishes that are being served. We are clearly supposed to find that funny. Let's be serious one minute.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Body horror, Gore, Bullying, Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Murder, Slavery, Fatphobia, Genocide, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Torture, Blood, Hate crime, and Violence

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Blood, Colonisation, Genocide, Classism, Death, Addiction, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Child death

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Vomit, and War

Minor: Bullying

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, Sexual content, Vomit, and War

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense 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? No

4.0

 

Honestly, when Samantha Shannon blurbs a book, it's a pretty automatic "check it out" for me. Plus, I have been really loving how much more mainstream fantasy/sci-fi inspired by African and Arabian and other non-Western traditions has become (I mean, there's still a long way to go, but progress is good). So, basically, deciding to read this was not a tough call. Of course, with a novel this length (and knowing that it was starting a trilogy that hasn't been fully released yet, which I'm always hesitant about because waiting is hard and I hate cliffhangers), I had to be mentally ready for the undertaking, so there was a delay between purchasing and picking up the novel. But here we are. 

 

The Warden's Empire has a very strict caste system, based on the color of one's blood. Sylah was stolen as a child from her upper class (red-blooded) family home. She was raised by the resistance and intensely trained with the goal of infiltrating the ruling class' tight-fisted rule from the inside. But years ago, her family was brutally murdered and since then, she's been purposeless, just barely finding the will to survive. Anoor has spent years being told by her mother (who happens to also be a high ranking official in the empire) that she is useless, a disappointment, not the child her mother wanted (secretly blue-blooded). When Sylah and Anoor meet, they find connection in their goals, their need to make a mark and prove their worth, if not their understanding of or experience with the world. And over time, they realize their experiences as outsiders in their own way(s) may have left them with more in common, and a greater emotional connection, than they'd thought. Alongside their unfolding story, we meet Hassa, one of the translucent-blooded serving class, whose hands and tongue were cut off like all her people's have been for generations. Hiding her people's many secrets, and working to lead them towards their own goals to take down and escape from the Warden's rule, she joins her knowledge and forces with Sylah and Anoor. Working together, from their different skill sets and angles, these three women may be able to bring on the power shifts and revolutionary changes they've all long dreamt of.     

 

For the first few chapters of this novel, I was super hesitant. The world-building felt basic and easy, and while I totally understand that all the best fantasy worlds are conceptually built upon the familiar (which are very uniform in their "powerful people taking advantage of other people in imperialistic ways"), it was the writing of it too. I feel like there is a way to make the familiar compelling, and not "expected." The point being, the beginning had me feeling unsure about how this would stand up to the hype. However, thankfully, it turns out that it was just the set-up at the start that felt that way (which is perhaps in part due to the debut nature of this novel - that sort of rudimentary communication of the fundamentals of the world, as opposed to a more sophisticated interweaving of those world-building details with early character and plot development). Also of note, as with all reviews, this is just my opinion, so others may not have felt the same about the opening. But in any case, I'm thrilled to report that after those first few chapters, the intricacies of the world, a nuanced and compelling character development, and a settling-in to the pacing and plot unfolding, picked up and had me fully invested. 

 

And let me just take an extra moment to say how much I appreciated that nuance and intricacy in the central characters and the world they live in. I was so impressed by how El-Arifi built each of their motivations because, as with all people (and especially for these characters within this story), their relationships and loyalties and emotions and choices are complex. Like, are your ties with blood or those you grew up around, and who is better placed to disrupt a system (and is it even possible to fully do that from only one angle)? Like, how can you simultaneously be jealous of what should have been yours and fight to tear down the systems that created it in the first place? Like, while there are absolutely those who bear a greater blame/role, is there ever anyone who is not, in some way, part of the problem...and can therefore be part of the situation, in their own way? The look at how class structures are not black and white - or red/blue/clear, as it were - yet there is some sweeping privilege that must be recognized, regardless of other characteristics, is thorough and necessary. And oooooof, overall what a commentary on the dangers of misunderstandings/assumptions that come with enforced separations amongst different peoples (as a concerted effort of those in power to retain said power it's horribly parallel to "real life" and, as much, carries important messages to readers). But anyways, basically this is all to say that I *loved* the way the Anoor, Hassa and Sylah developed separately and intertwined. Their growth was paced in a believable way and their emotional struggles (both in connecting and in not wanting to connect) felt genuine in both its difficulty and depth. I cannot wait to see where they each go from here and in what ways they come back together...or not. 

 

 Plot-wise, this novel delivered as well. There was a building of tension and stakes consistently from beginning to end, with the structure of the trials as a great way to have smaller builds/releases within the greater context. It's not a totally original set-up, for sure, but it was well-executed. And while I was cautious about how it would play out, really hoping for it to be realistic (within this world, obviously), I was pleased with how El-Arifi unfolded it all without anything too "easy" as far as plot devices. Also, alongside the main plotline of the trials, there were a number of smaller stories unfolding, many related to the ruthless violence and lying as a basis for this society/empire. The foreshadowing of how those lies coming to light will upend everything from the current system *as well as* the fight to bring that system down built well in and around the primary plot line. Finally, there were quite a few reveals at the end (and while some definitely weren't a surprise, some were unexpected), and I loved that they have me fully invested in where everything goes from here, BUT with enough of a wrap that I, a natural born hater of overdramatic cliffhangers (like seriously, if you write a story well enough, I will want to know what happens next without the need for all the characters to be left in a precarious and doomed situation) am happy with it. 

 

So basically, this is a really high quality opening to a new fantasy trilogy with lots of action, great character development of an awesome trio of female leads (I'm totally here for this type of complicated-strong heroine-dominated story - give me *all* of that), new (to me) and wonderful cultural inspiration on well-loved fantasy tropes, and a set-up for a story that I really want to know the rest of. 

 

“Love gives you strength, but retribution gives you purpose.” 

 

“How nice it is to be so blinded by your own riches that you can't see whose back your home is built upon.” 

 

“When money is everything, everything is for sale.” 

 

“His eyes crinkled with the wisdom of other people’s stories.” (What a description for educators/librarians, so much love!) 

 

“We cannot reclaim what’s ours without help from those who oppress us.” 

 

“If we forget the individual, we forget ourselves.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Violence, Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Trafficking, and Toxic friendship

_james_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Violence, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Cursing, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Excrement, and Toxic friendship

gagereadsstuff's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Classism, Colonisation, Death, and Drug use

Moderate: Vomit, Torture, Excrement, Grief, and Kidnapping

nefariousbee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

What a book. I don't even know what else to say. Definitely one of the best high fantasy books I've read, if not *the* best.
The world building, the characters, the writing, all spectacular. There's quite some naiveté to it all, which I thought I would mind, but I did not, actually. It's satisfying to see the characters and the plot not to feel like they need to be down to Earth. I enjoyed it very much.
I think I'm gonna go and pre-order the next book in the series now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Violence, Addiction, Bullying, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Slavery, Gore, and Murder