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cadimy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
I get what the author was trying to do with the heavy misogyny and how it affects the MC deeply, so I did appreciate that at times. Unfortunately I had no connection to any of the characters- they fell so flat and there was no chemistry to be found.
Also, little to no backstory on the fairy king?? Why was he hanging around? He was apparently “stuck” on the estate because of the trees and berries everywhere but that doesn’t explain how he escaped to almost steal the MC? She said she saw him all of the time, but how? Not much story building, and the backstory of the north vs south seemed unnecessary other than to sprinkle in some racism for the characters.
I listened to the audiobook on a road trip, and the fact that I finished it gives it 2 stars, maybe 2.5. I was kind of hoping for a dark ending where her love interest was over taken by the fairy king.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Death, Car accident, Bullying, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Animal death, and Gaslighting
Minor: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
kaylamullarkey's review
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
pandorasxbox's review
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Confinement, Bullying, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Mental illness
reddeddy's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, War, Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, and Deportation
lila_laune's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
For most of the book I was unsure how reliable Effy was as a narrator but I think think that might reflect more on me than it does on the book. It really is beautifully written, I just have one issue: Everyone mentions how smart and brave Effy is and of course, yes, she is, but whyyyy did you not go talk to the secretive and reclusive widow of your favorite author when you had the chance? Like you literally did everything including destruction and theft of property and nearly dying in a drowned basement instead of trying to communicate with people that are there and have not explicitly told you to fuck off yet. I was just waiting for them to get to that for nearly half the book so that was incredibly frustrating.
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Child abuse, Murder, Car accident, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Sexism, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
chasinggrace'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
3.5
I thought the setting was beautiful and the world building was not overwhelming at all. The themes of colonization, classism, & religious separations were touched on, but were not overbearing. The mystery & folklore kept me intrigued, and I thought the romance was sweet (even though Preston will not be a favorite book boyfriend of mine).
Unfortunately, I needed to dock .5 stars for the writing, especially in the first 100 pages of the book. While I think similes are helpful literary tools and can be beautiful, they are completely overdone in this text. The author cannot write one singular page of this book without comparing two things and using the word “like.” Try it - flip to any page and you will find a sentence that uses this structure. While I’m not a style critic, I could not ignore it and it tainted the opening of the story. I also found Effy to be quite insufferable, before I understood her trauma. Finally, while I know Preston is self-described as unromantic,
All together, I think this is a beautiful story that weaves dark themes with stunning comparisons to the relentlessness of water. It teaches you that you are the only one who constructs the house in which you live, if you can be strong enough to hammer the stakes yourself.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Classism, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
inlibrisveritas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Despite that, I loved the writing style, the story, and Effie. It's a story of being in too deep while trying your hardest to push forward, even when you're not even sure you're where you want or need to be. It's about living with fear and eventually learning to manage it, and about women who have been silenced because the world prefers them under a man's thumb.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
maresuju'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
4.75
Graphic: Sexism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Animal death, and Abandonment
writingandwhimsy's review
- 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
Moderate: Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content, War, Abandonment, and Alcohol