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sarahschwehn's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, and Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Pedophilia, Grief, Torture, and Trafficking
Minor: Slavery, Vomit, War, Violence, Abandonment, Cancer, Genocide, Gun violence, and Infertility
brenna_kcw's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, War, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Murder, Vomit, Sexual assault, Body horror, Torture, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Colonisation
The book includes a lot of descriptions of a character with intense and ongoing mental and physical illness including vomiting, body horror/medical consent stuff, which would be more difficult for some audiences. There is a VERY explicit although I wouldn’t say gratuitous description of rape. It centers the fear and horror of rape which is better than the often creepy sexualisation of rape, but it’s really awful to read so pls be aware, it’s within the last 2 chapters that any graphic description is made, the rest is vague.kendalsbookcase's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: War, Murder, Cannibalism, Death, and Child death
Minor: Religious bigotry
cocacolor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
ETA. Its sequel, CHILDREN OF GOD, makes clearer the author & narrative's ethical positions and I believe this book is coming from a place of compassion.
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Medical content, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cannibalism, War, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Child death, and Self harm
Minor: Pregnancy
smallredboy's review against another edition
- 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
Edit a few days after this fact: This is a complex book. It's very much Jewish, even when it deals largely with Jesuits, as it gives you a thousand questions about God (including the good ol' "if God exists, why do horrible things happen?" question) but provides exactly zero answers (maybe half an answer), which is very much a Jewish thing to do. The characters are alive, almost too alive, enough for the foregone conclusion to hurt even before it happens. The way it deals with trauma (mental, physical and sexual) is realistic and cathartic, believable; I feel for Emilio deeply. While I don't know much about science, most of it felt pretty realistic, and I absolutely adored the focus on anthropology and linguistics, as that I understand some more of. The non-linear narrative makes it better, in my opinion; the sinking dread having an understanding of what's going to happen while hope is still high in the air is incredible.
It's a very heavy book, with a thousand trigger warnings to be given. But if you can read it, I really do recommend it.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: War