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kittycaserine's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Slavery, Sexual violence, Grief, Rape, Suicide attempt, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Classism, Torture, Abandonment, Violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexism, and Car accident
leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Colonisation, Confinement, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Suicidal thoughts
yetilibrary'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
2.5
So. That ending. Spoiler-free thoughts: I hated, hated, HATED the ending. The ending was utterly infuriating. I thought through it, and while it can be justified on the basis of character (flaws?), I think there are arguments that justify an alternative ending, and perhaps more to the point: I HATE IT.
It's possible to argue that she would do this out of devotion to Akira, the great love of her life, and because deep down, she still doesn't believe she deserves happiness or love. That's true. But this choice also requires belief that this is what Akira wants (her vision of him never says this), AND that this is what he wants for HER. It also requires belief that she is willing to hurt the two people she loves most in the world, and (essentially) sacrifice her child, for the sake of fulfilling her grandmother's wishes. Let's be clear: this was always what her grandmother wanted.
My final reason for hating this ending is purely selfish: after so much pain in this book, I just wanted better for Nori. I wanted better for her than a return to the place that hurt her so much (she vomits when she gets to this house!), and a choice to take over the role that her wicked grandparents had held for so long, with no one she could trust at her side. And this was all due to a vision of her dead brother and a quixotic belief that she could stop her family's widespread evil, singlehandedly. (In fairness, I'm sure she can stop some of it. And it's a good and worthy goal. But I have my doubts that any one person can take down an operation that large, and that old.)
TL;DR I HATED THIS ENDING WITH ALL MY BEING.
Graphic: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, and Rape
Minor: Rape
briannad4's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Physical abuse
lucys_book_boutique's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Racism, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Confinement, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Abortion
thespinystacks's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Fifty Words for Rain was rich with beautiful imagery, but tied within the beauty is a story full of tragedy. An innocent child born into a family stuck in the tradition of royalty, and blaming her for any shortcomings their family may have.
Nori suffers deeply at the hands of her Grandfather and Grandmother, and many other adults who all fail to protect her.
The story spans over 20 years of history, and across two continents. You’ll grow with Nori, and feel for a young woman who has been forced to grow up too fast, but stayed the little innocent child all the same.
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Car accident
keroseberry's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, and Violence