Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

151 reviews

ali_k0's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War

Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Vomit, Colonisation, and Body shaming

prettiestwhistles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, War, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Murder, and Confinement

Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, Blood, Classism, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Death of parent, Racism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Biphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Rape, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Domestic abuse

jaimc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, War, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Gaslighting, and Blood

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Death of parent

shinypurplepants's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

2.75

What a whirlwind. Will have to probably let this one settle for a bit before I can write a good review. This is unabashedly a villain protagonist tale which I do not often pick up.

EDIT TO ADD:
Torn between 2 or 3 ⭐s so I rounded up because I love the cover so much and I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator was phenomenal.

After letting this sit for a bit I can write an actual review. I typically like stereotypically "good" protagonists: people that do their best for other people and have a optimist outlook on things etc etc Villain protagonists are a hard sell for me. I also tend to avoid YA dystopian novels because of their bleak outlooks. Iron Widow is very dark and pessimistic.

The dystopian world of Iron Widow is full of giant robots and systematic misogyny. In this world, giant robots are piloted by a Yin and Yang pilot (one boy and girl). Zetian enlists herself into this army of giant robots to avenge her sister's death. The setting was just so immediately hateful towards women I couldn't help but excuse Zetian's reckless abandon and anger. This may not resonate with everyone but if you like a good ole "revenge as catharsis" tale you will probably enjoy Iron Widow. 

CW are numerous and I cannot possibly remember them all but general warnings for

violence, death, torture, misogyny, forced mutilation, emotional manipulation, verbal and physical abuse, off-page sexual content

The biggest critique I have is about the writing and pacing itself, especially the ending. The last 20% of the book felt like it came out of left field. Not in a "couldn't have guessed it" way but in a "this really deserved to be a fully explored plot in a second book and felt super duper rushed" kind of way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Misogyny, and Violence

shector1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Genocide, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Alcoholism, War, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault

onemamareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/iron-widow

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Gore

mothman19's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Body horror, Body shaming, Murder, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Grief

Minor: Kidnapping, Medical content, Animal death, Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

athlen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, Racism, Death of parent, Child death, and Torture

Moderate: Rape

miss__manga__'s review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

4.0

Not a perfect read but a great one. I think some of the repeated ideas (mcs ranting) could have been tightened and condensed to make more room for world building and the poly relationship. I feel like a lot was done off screen in that regard. 

Saw the end coming to a degree, but not the ultimatum. 

Contains some iconic and hilarious lines. Looking forward to the sequel. Li Shimin supremacy!

Do not understand the tattoos of one of the love interests. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Torture

Minor: Homophobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Addiction, Death, Body shaming, and Cursing

sparrow_hawk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Classism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Domestic abuse

tagged : death of parent it's not in the way you'd think lol