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noellegrace8'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? Yes
5.0
Also. Winter & Jacin > everyone else. I freaking love them.
Winter's story also has the most clever parallels to her fairytale as well (in my humble opinion). Cinder is a close second, but I think Winter's story is a lot more exciting.
The revolution is a bit challenging, as it (understandably) has to wrap up every bit of convoluted plot line and can be a bit anxiety-inducing. Sometimes you genuinely feel that the characters are about to die and/or lose.
The last chapters are done in the way of the movie version of the Return of the King - where we get to see each person's ending. It is a bit saccharine, but in the perfect way that modern fairy tales are.
I was glad to see Cress & Thorne finally be solid. It was frustrating to read their back-and-forth in book 3, but there are some PERFECTLY written scenes between the two of them in this one. Also, can I just say that I love the mild allusion to other versions of Rapunzel? Like how Thorne stabs Cress in the side just like Mother Gothel stabs Flynn in Tangled?
I did struggle a bit when it was revealed that Levana has a disfigured face. Mostly because I don't understand how cyborgs are a reality but plastic surgery isn't? But more than that, it seemed like a weak/frustrating plot device, one that goes against the whole idea of Snow White (that the Evil Queen *is* in fact gorgeous on the outside, but can't understand that her *heart* is ugly). Still not anything worth docking stars for.
Seriously. So. Good.
I don't factor audiobook narrators' performances into my overall star rating, but I would give Rebecca Soler a 4.25/5 for this one. As previously stated in my other reviews of books 1-3, I got used to her slightly different voices and grew to appreciate them, especially certain characters. There were still some pieces that should have been re-recorded due to minor errors, but again, that feels like it should be on whoever did the mixing and production. But the one thing that really made me dock that .75 this time was Winter's voice. She is voiced like a baby, and it was grating on my ears. I also don't appreciate the infantilization of a character who is 17 with a love interest who is 19. It just feels icky. I think she could have come across as "crazy" yet "alluring" and "innocent" without being voiced as a child.
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Classism, Blood, Gaslighting, Body horror, Death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Animal death, Murder, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Torture, Xenophobia, Medical content, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, Grief, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child death, Genocide, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship
lovemissjoan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: War
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Self harm
gattolinos_nerdy_nook'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
4.5
I will admit it feels slow in the beginning especially with how the last book ended, but it better sets up and introduces us to Winter and makes her a main player in the story now. By a third into the book everything very much starts to pick up again and the story starts to hit the ground running.
I loved how the story line would mix and change POVs weaving people's stories together before once more diverging again. It really kept the pace fast and intrigue and urgency high, and it all came to an orchestrated ending for the book and series. Everything was tied up and concluded nicely but left moments open that could be looked into with the novellas.
Graphic: Violence, Death, War, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide
csmall73'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual violence, Self harm, Genocide, Gaslighting, War, Gore, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Racism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gun violence
meghansarmiento97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, War, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Vomit
namzuru'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Classism, Violence, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical content, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Fire/Fire injury
dontwritedown'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? Yes
3.0
As I mentioned in the previous review, Meyer doesn't know how to write introverted, non-sarcastic characters without coming off bland. This is mitigated somewhat by Winter having some eccentricities, but still.
I also feel like Meyer's writing took a huge shift in this book, almost like she had a ghostwriter in the first two books and these are fully her own pieces of writing. There also appears to be huge swaths of text that just drag on but every once in a while, the writing we fell in love with in Cinder comes through. It's truly weird, I don't know how to explain it.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Torture
anielabooks'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Child abuse, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Ableism
maria_pell'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: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death
ednam0dewannabe'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Minor: Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief