Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

70 reviews

baponthecob's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

There were actually a lot of things in this book that I dont usually like, but I let it slide here bc I was just enjoying the story as a whole.
There was instalove, so I didnt really understand the romance. It didnt really click for me, but the way their interactions were written were just really soft and sweet :) but yeah it was very much giving high school puppy love. Imo, at the end,

Flora/Florian should have had to move on from Evelyn's death instead of joining her as a mermaid. Family was supposed to be kinda important, so I just cant see why she has just obtained a father figure and reunited with her brother only to leave them to be with a girl.

The witch arc also felt really rushed despite it being the longest part of the book. Actually all the parts just felt really fast to me? 
I was also confused by the epilogue. But, overall, a fun read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Vomit, Trafficking, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Medical content

alouette's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

okay, so this was gorgeous, huh? absolutely breathtaking. i loved the simple things, like the relatively short chapter lengths and the representation and the magic system being loose, undefined and dreamy. and then i loved the epic, more complex things like the love and the gender feels and the pirating and the balance of darkness and softness and moral ambiguity. and of course, that ending (holy sh*t, that ending!!!)

the characters felt like i met them, the plot felt like i was living it, the intensity of emotion felt like a tidal wave wrought by the Sea herself. seriously, i'm obsessed with the beauty of how the world can bring two souls together and also tear them apart, but how broken hearts are not a destiny and love finds its ways. and then the themes of colonization and imperialism and storytelling and what it's like to live when you're not free?

can't say it enough, this book is spectacular.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual violence and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

zarap's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• 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

3.25

This was a very fun book and I'm glad I read it, but/and I also agree with what other reviewers have said about the book trying to cram too many things into one book and not developing the story elements, characters, or worldbuilding fully. I'm definitely interested in what Maggie Tokuda-Hall writes in the future! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Xenophobia, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

laneport's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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: Alcoholism, Torture, Blood, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Moderate: Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Transphobia

backupandround's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Implied sexual assault/intent of sexual assault, not confirmed or described.

aboveaveragegeek's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Slavery, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

krn's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

millow333's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Trafficking

missprint's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Torture, and Trafficking

maisierosereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

Further information r.e. the rape/sexual assault warning:

it is implied at several points in the book that a character was raped before the start of the story, but this was not depicted on the page. It could also be interpreted as non-sexual physical assault. The character who was assaulted was a minor at the time.