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seulgireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexism
Misogyny/sexism: Single use of "girls" as a slur and main character hates (and hides) being a girl (hates her developing body as well as the role women are assigned in her society) but also specifically wants to be a woman knight-warrior.jjamieww's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think the book could have gone into more detail on certain things and explained them more especially if it’s a kiddo reading it.
The climax of the book being this battle in a random place didn’t make much sense. There were a lot of loose ends as well that I assume will get wrapped up in the later books.
Moderate: Alcohol and Bullying
Minor: Abandonment
totallywickedruth333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism and Bullying
Moderate: Violence
fuchsiarascal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
All that said, I still think Alanna’s books are SUPER important. Alanna’s journey is wonderful and resonates strongly with many who have ever been at odds with their assigned gender, for whatever reason. I simply didn’t want to do the “girly” things, but transgender and nonbinary people will find a lot of similarities, especially as she enters puberty. (And this evolves further as she grows up in later books.) As a 12 year old, reading a book in which the main character deals with her first period was unheard of! That definitely stuck with me. (It’s also one of the many reasons that I think everyone, regardless of gender, should read these books. Imagine normalizing menstruation!)
And, of course, there’s all the stuff of Alanna training to be a knight, facing struggles (both inward and outward), finding lifelong friends, and overcoming everything. This is just the first book in her accepting who she is, and she’s got a lot still to come, but seeing her build her confidence and hint at the bigger issues in later books is a great ride.
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
freesiaelect's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Bullying and Sexism
mythian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Bullying
wellreadandhalfdead's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying and Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Dysphoria
greatestheights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Bullying and Injury/Injury detail
vixenreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Violence, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery
Minor: Islamophobia and War
The ending has some dated ideas about the Middle East, and the discussions about gender are still in terms of a binary. Also, be aware of a scene involving menstruation.