Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Dreadnought by April Daniels

6 reviews

gameoftomes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

Amazing. The book really gives a payoff for its superhero genre, transgender representation, and first person POV. It uses all of these well, and towards a conclusion with physical and emotional stakes involved. 

There are good action sequences, a bit of gore, and a good bit of body horror. But none of it overwhelms the novel. The supers don’t feel regurgitated and cliché. It feels like it could fit in with comic book superheroes, yet isn’t weighed down with tropes. The world of superheroes and hypertech is fleshed out without being exposition heavy. 

Warning that there is a significant amount of transphobia, including slurs, deadnaming, emotional abuse, and parents kicking out their 15 year old kid. But none of this stops main character Danielle from being super, from being flawed, from being a beacon of hope. Individuals are not a monolith, and I think at the author is transgender herself helps. 

This is a first person perspective YA novel that feels like you’re in the head of a real teenager. Danny clearly had reactions with a lot of self-hate because of how actively awful her dad is and how passively awful her mom is. So negative self-talk happens in stressful situations. Her journey as a superhero starts out as finally getting her body to match her gender identity, then fighting crime becomes an escape from reality, and finally starts to become a community, a newfound family. 

I honestly came in thinking I would be lightly enjoyable fun, but I’m really blown away with the characters, world-building, and balance of emotional, fun, and tense moments. I might have to break my book buying ban to grab the sequel. 

9/10 objectively a good time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gore, Body horror, Murder, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Injury/Injury detail

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Child abuse, Violence, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Death, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War, Ableism, Cancer, Fatphobia, Drug use, Addiction, Vomit, Rape, Racism, and Death of parent

jjjreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Infertility, Blood, Body shaming, Sexism, Transphobia, Child abuse, Classism, Deadnaming, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Chronic illness, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Addiction

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Genocide, Child death, Self harm, Slavery, Gaslighting, Vomit, and Cancer

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, Addiction, and Outing

Moderate: Abandonment, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Bullying and Death

melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.0

I really loved this book but it is so hard to read. The transphobia is really really intense in this book and I don't think the synopsis covers that enough. Please protect yourself and look up content warnings before reading!

I really loved Dani and how she grew throughout the book.  She found a few people who were there for her and she truly did so much! I thought she was a great character and loved reading a book with a trans superhero! I just wish so many of the other characters weren't so horrible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexism and Abandonment

ok7a's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Transphobia

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Abandonment