talonsontypewriters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Body horror, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Transphobia, Pedophilia, Suicide, Death, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia, Fatphobia, and Outing
Assault scenes are present but not extremely graphic; aftermath and results are covered more extensively than events themselves, though there are frank descriptions of rape and (C)SA.miri_png's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Dysphoria, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia
boy_topics's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
booksarebrainfood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love how they intertwined religion, the ego, trauma and gender to show all the different facets of the self and how they can grow and evolve and be at war with each other. I loved the presentation of people who don’t quite belong to our world who are always called on somewhere, and incorporating that into autofiction was so interesting and unique. Loved it!
The only reason I have 4 stars is that it became quite repetitive towards the end and lost the momentum it was building so well before, but nevertheless it’s unsettling and genius in its own way.
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Confinement, Car accident, and Body horror
kdawns13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual violence
ashleycmms's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gore, Medical content, and Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder
tina94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Drug use
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Religious bigotry
moonlitemuseum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Emezi's prose sizzles and burns, writhes into your brain and sets off sparks; the fracturing of the protagonist's identity from birth is told with religious reverence, the traumas Ada faces are perfect horror, and the tenacity and vivaciousness of Asughara feels raw, clear and justified.
Ada's personalities are communicated with clarity and intimacy, and the collective's struggle to be seen, to wrestle with Ada's alleged destiny and her desire to be human is heartrending.
This novel is unforgettable but it is brutal and it is precise. I had to read it in several sittings due to the intensity of what is depicted within it, but the time spent with it was incredible, and I think it is well worth the time to sink into Ada's identity and learn the leylines of her inner mythology.
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Body horror, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Violence
Ableism is referenced frequently due to the lack of understanding of Ada's alternate identities.jaybird_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Drug use
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
womanwill's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Transphobia
Minor: Body horror, Car accident, Eating disorder, and Medical trauma