Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

75 reviews

purplesapphire's review against another edition

adventurous 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

This book: 400 pages. This book if literally anyone told Inez anything near the truth: 100 pages. 

Still good though, if a bit frustrating at times. Good fun. Loved the historical accuracy the author put into it. And maybe I'm biased because I love Egypt but I'm genuinely excited for the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism

aklovekorn's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Violence, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

maidmarianlib's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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? No

5.0

Rich atmosphere with strong mystery and characters

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

zarhara's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Grief, Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Alcohol, and Abandonment

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

mixxroxy's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, and Gun violence

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

DNF 27%

I think this book has a lot of potential, but it just didn’t click with me.

I really liked the characters and their dynamics. I loved Inez’s internal monologue and how she thought of things. She was clearly intelligent and clever and strong-willed, but also had blind spots and her stubbornness could get her into trouble. The writing style was wonderful and I loved all the descriptions. I loved the vibes, especially how much it felt like The Mummy.

It just didn’t feel like anything was happening. It took until 27% into the book for actual plot to kick off and I don’t think that’s pacing that appeals to me at the moment. I might try the book again later, but waiting that long for the plot to pickup is a bit of a turn away for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Grief

Minor: Racism

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief, Sexism, Colonisation, War, and Blood

kermittuesday's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

I was so interested in this. It’s historical fiction with a little bit of magic thrown in, seemed perfect for me. But it’s so flat. The pace was so slow when I expected to have been flying through it. 

The MC is like every stereotype of a YA female protagonist you can think of. She’s “strong-willed” but here that just means she finds every possible reason to argue with every other character on literally every other page. Her and the guy her age just argue for no reason most of the time. And she argues with everyone else too. The plot moves forward only through argument.

She’s “clever” but only when it serves the plot. Otherwise she’s an idiot about things so her character is all over the place.

She’s  hypocritical  because when her cousin comes to Egypt she gets mad at her for doing the exact same things the MC is always doing, without a trace of irony. And there was no reason the cousin needed to die. That was extreme and if it meant that of course the MC couldn’t go home because she wouldn’t be welcome at her aunt’s house, that would be one thing but there was no mention of that despite the letter saying the other cousin would never forgive the MC if something happened to the cousin. So there are things thrown in that just make no sense.

The thing is, if it was middle grade, I’d forgive some of this. But it’s YA, it doesn’t need to be so formulaic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation

Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder

kbowles24's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Abandonment, Colonisation, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Racism, War, Murder, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Violence

kylosten's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, Gore, and Grief

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty