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Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Slavery, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Death of parent
I found a lot of the concepts in this book really interesting, like the eugenics-based dystopian caste system. It really leans into the sci-fi aspect, which is able to take it to quite an extreme
The Hunger Games-style battle royale was also interesting, with a lot of shifting alliances and politicking. I also appreciated that Darrow fell to a real nadir due to his mistakes and learned from them. I think that's what had me riveted in the latter part of the book, since I was invested in seeing how he would succeed.
I also found myself really interested in the side characters, namely Servo and Mustang. Though I did predict the twist that
That said, this book started with one of the most egregious examples of fridging I've read in my life. And the book calls back to it constantly. I nearly stopped reading after it happened because I really just wished I could read an alternative version of the book where
The treatment of the female characters in this book in general is not great. While many of them are capable in a variety of ways, many also get used as objects on which male characters act, effectively to show how monstrous and awful those male characters are. Then in certain cases, it feels almost forgiven
Also, everyone is so goddamn young! Maybe I'm just getting "old" (I'm not even old) but I'm tired of teenage or young adult protagonists. It makes sense in the context of the world, but I just decided to age everyone up 4 years in my head.
All in all, I'm planning to continue with the series. From what I've read of other reviews, it seems some of my issues with this book may improve over the course of the series, so I'll give it a chance. And I'd be lying if I said I weren't invested in the story to come.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Grief
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Rape, Sexual violence
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, War, Classism
Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Grief
I’m glad people love this series, but not for me, I’m afraid.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail