Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

22 reviews

carleneb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Really loved this story. Its an adventure buf its sl about human nature 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Racism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization

bittennailbooks's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

If you are a fan of RF Kuang's Babel, this is your next read.

A standalone, historical fantasy that casts a lens over the archaeologies contribution to colonization.  January Scaller is a curiosity, she is the ward of wealthy Mr. Locke, an artificer that is the head of a highly prestigious archaeological society. January's birth father provides Mr. Locke with artifacts from all over the world in exchange for raising January. After telling Mr. Locke of passing through a magical door to another world as a child, Mr. Locke decides it is time to put an end to his ward's childish imagination. Putting away her childish fantasies, January is offered a prestigious membership into the archaeological society that Mr. Locke runs on her 17th birthday, unheard of for a woman of a colour. Refusing to be another cog in the machine of colonialism, January refuses and upon finding out her father has gone missing on an excursion, January's life is turned upside down. Her only escape maybe the fabled doors in which she once passed through as a small child, it's existence hidden in her old leather bound book called "Ten Thousand Doors".

I thought this book was imaginative, tense, and absolutely threatening to the delicate veil that archeology holds over what its ruined. For those who are wondering about the dog: 

the dog does get hurt (mentioned not brutally described) but is totally fine

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Misogyny, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction and Animal death

alyssasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Death, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Racism, Xenophobia, Body horror, and Stalking

m0czy's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A whimsical adventure, where a young girl finds meaning in her relationships, her world, and herself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Torture, Grief, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal cruelty

allureofarson's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

heytherekaity's review

adventurous 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

 hello yes I LOVE this book!!!!!

do you like portal fantasies? have you ever wished the Wayward Children series were full length books instead of novellas? do you dream of a grown up version of The Magician's Nephew? because if so, WOW do I have the book for you!

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is an absolutely PHENOMENAL book and you should read it as soon as you possibly can!!!

and also Alix E. Harrow is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE authors and somehow I ended up reading her debut THIRD (I read A Spindle Splintered first, then The Once and Future Witches) and OH MY STARS it's just SO GOOD! her writing style just really works for me and I wish she had at least ten more books for me to read RIGHT NOW! (but there will be more soon and I will wait. patiently. or at least attempting to wait patiently)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia

cluckieduck's review

I just couldn’t connect with this story. I tried, I really tried, but the quirky style of prose was just a bit too rambling and tedious that I found myself drifting off. I’ve read some summaries and based on the upcoming content, I’m glad to be stopping now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs and Misogyny

keen's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense

• 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

I started this book with an intensely negativity mindset for several reasons. 1) I do not like historical books. I find them to be either boring or painful to read. 2) Connecting to 1, historical books that address racism and sexism can be triggering for me, as a trans-masc black person. 3) I simply found the start of the book to be interesting, but boring, disappointing me based on talk about it being adventurous portal fantasy.

I've just finished reading and my heart is tight in my chest. It hasn't made me cry, but it was right on the edge of it. I don't have good words to describe why I liked the story overall. It's more several small parts that built up into me caring deeply about the story. But to summarize:

1. The racism aspect of the book was what made me immediately connect to January. Both of us struggle with our race being ambiguous, causing people of all races to be unsure of how to approach us. I would've preferred to not focus on it at all, but that would have significantly changed the story. Honestly, I was surprised the author is white. Her depiction of racism was so natural. Better yet, characters of different skin tones are described, not only dark or unnatural skins. I've seen it be far too common that only dark and alien skins will be described, implying that the default skin tone is white and doesn't need to be mentioned for a character description. This was immensely refreshing.
   
   
2. Similarly, the way mental health and abuse was handled was so realistic that it was actually triggering. I had to put the book down to recover a few times. This was an awful experience for me, but I think this is a bonus to the book. I rather be hurt by how accurately a book portrayed a toxic relationship, causing me to further relate to a character, than to see it handled badly.
   
   
3. I was pleasantly surprised to see a prominent LGBT character in the story. It's not lingered on long, but it's made explicitly clear. There's also a small mention of a two old men holding hands.
   
   
4. I can't say that I found Samuel particularly interesting as a character, but I enjoyed him. I wasn't expecting much for a story that's not focused on romance, anyway. Him and January have a nice dynamic, with their relationship not developing in a straight line. Also, he's not Prince Charming. January gets a lot of agency in what she wants. This story has a strong focus on women being courageous and powerful and how those are attractive qualities.
   
   
5. Above could be said for a lot of the characters in this story. I appreciate that relationships in the book are explicitly complicated. I'm very happy that a story about family and your place in society didn't make relationships one-dimensional. Friendships and family in this book feel so grey that there's not a lot of room on how to handle a situation in a "good" or "bad" way.

Aside from my issue with the slow start to the book, the only had bad thing that stands out to me is how impulsive and reckless January can be. At the same time, that could be said for a few characters, and in the context of the book, it makes sense. Also, she's a teenager, so shouldn't expect some ground-breaking planning skills when going through a terrifying situation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs

Confinement/Emotional Abuse/Child Abuse Explanation:

There is a part where January, as a young girl, is forced to stay in her room for several days with no social contact, breaking her down emotionally so she'll behave."

Forced Institutionalization Explanation:

This is a significant part of the book. January is put into an asylum under false pretenses. She is strapped down and drugged to be kept passive.

Self Harm Explanation:

Connected to above, January gets out of the asylum by carving words into her arm as a necessity

sfbookgirl's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I found this quite fitting to read in January. 😆 I loved the back-and-forth between January’s perspective and the magical book that tells an exciting story. I do think the book dragged on a bit at times, but I found myself interested in what path January was going to take in order to find her way home. The writing, like the cover, is very ~magical~ and flowery and it gives the reader quite the adventure to follow. Also, there is a dog. 🐶 

 

The book is about a young woman named January who was adopted by a rich, white man that collects treasures for a living. January finds a book amongst his treasures and is exposed to a world of doors that lead to other worlds. Perhaps these doors will help her find where she came from… 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Gun violence