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tattooedbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Self harm, Abandonment, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Deadnaming, and Torture
pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I held off on reviewing this until I read the closing sequel. I do like the sequel better than this first one, mostly because a ton of questions get answered and the character growth is a big deeper.
Godly Heathens showcases a ton of conflict, much of it saturated in teen angst and edgy one-liners. The dialogue was too try-hard for me, it felt like an adult assuming how queer teens talk? And this cast! The whole main cast is Queer, Trans/ Non-Binary, Native, Black, Latine, and some neurodivergence as well, and none of it is the target of harassment or bullying. We get to see Queer joy, Trans empowerment and normalization, all amongst a very stressful gods-coming-to-earth setting.
My biggest issue was remember who everyone is, the cast was so massive. There is a list of characters in the back, but unfortunately with audiobook... that doesn't help much. I wasn't a fan of the narrator at first, the cadence was hard for me to get into, but once I got their style is speaking it was fine and aided a lot in the characters. I did not like the demon's voice though, idk why, it was just so off. I listened to this via Libro.fm, which at the time was an ALC.
Some steamy make out scenes and daydreams, some references to sexual assault, lots of fantasy violence, lots of big emotions and meltdowns, scary moments with mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
Godly Heathens showcases a ton of conflict, much of it saturated in teen angst and edgy one-liners. The dialogue was too try-hard for me, it felt like an adult assuming how queer teens talk? And this cast! The whole main cast is Queer, Trans/ Non-Binary, Native, Black, Latine, and some neurodivergence as well, and none of it is the target of harassment or bullying. We get to see Queer joy, Trans empowerment and normalization, all amongst a very stressful gods-coming-to-earth setting.
My biggest issue was remember who everyone is, the cast was so massive. There is a list of characters in the back, but unfortunately with audiobook... that doesn't help much. I wasn't a fan of the narrator at first, the cadence was hard for me to get into, but once I got their style is speaking it was fine and aided a lot in the characters. I did not like the demon's voice though, idk why, it was just so off. I listened to this via Libro.fm, which at the time was an ALC.
Some steamy make out scenes and daydreams, some references to sexual assault, lots of fantasy violence, lots of big emotions and meltdowns, scary moments with mental illness, and suicidal ideation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Torture, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Colonisation, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, and Car accident
planreadrepeat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Teenagers that are actually reincarnated gods living in a small town in Georgia. Non-binary, trans, gay, and general queerness. Indigenous representation. A wide cast of diverse characters. Yep, this book has them all.
Fantasy with some horror, I can see teens really enjoying this book. There is representation for just about anyone. Choice vs destiny was one of the main themes in my opinion. Gem has to make many choices while learning her destiny. Does she make her own or follow paths others have set for her? How much of her is a god and how much is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in Georgia? Gem was a very lovable character. Watching her balance her life as a teenager with the growing power of her godhood made me sympathetic to her decisions. Even when I was internally screaming that they were the wrong ones.
The story was very engaging and dense. Confusing at times because of names changing and learning who is who in the god pantheon. The ending was tense and left me hanging for the next book but wrapped up the story at the same time. Recommend this for teens, especially those looking for representation and heavy plots.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Fantasy with some horror, I can see teens really enjoying this book. There is representation for just about anyone. Choice vs destiny was one of the main themes in my opinion. Gem has to make many choices while learning her destiny. Does she make her own or follow paths others have set for her? How much of her is a god and how much is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in Georgia? Gem was a very lovable character. Watching her balance her life as a teenager with the growing power of her godhood made me sympathetic to her decisions. Even when I was internally screaming that they were the wrong ones.
The story was very engaging and dense. Confusing at times because of names changing and learning who is who in the god pantheon. The ending was tense and left me hanging for the next book but wrapped up the story at the same time. Recommend this for teens, especially those looking for representation and heavy plots.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Deadnaming
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