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julbel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Suicide attempt
iris_lrf'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
4.75
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Suicide attempt, Child death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, Confinement, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Grief, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: War, Self harm, and Kidnapping
angelbabe_cj'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
4.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and Death
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
starofash'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
sadly, i read a spoiler about librarian claire's past so i wasn't surprised when the grand reveal rolled along- except i was, because there was more to it than i thought. as i said, the plot twists are Amazing!!
also, i loved the play with basic book categories like heroes and villains and damsels, and how at the end, we realize that they don't matter, because villains are capaple of heroics, and damsels are people, too.
also, i loved how at the beginning of the chapters, we get an insight in the librarian's log and- yeah i just loved basically everything about it.
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Death
Minor: Suicide
keen'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
3.5
In the beginning, I found the story intriguing but not much to ride home about. The character Hero annoyed me in particular. It was only halfway through the book that I began picking up a lot more interest, even having me grow on Hero. By the end, I was surprised to find myself fully accepting him as an enjoyable character. Similarly, I found some of the character development wonky. It became noticeable to me by one line that felt like a big jump in relationship improvement between characters.
Otherwise, I'm happy to see another book I picked up that has diverse characters, from Claire being described as being dark-skinned and has braids to Hero being bisexual. The author leaves no room to assume that you're interpretation the words wrong. Additionally, I loved how the author avoided only describing the skin tone of dark-skinned characters. Nothing frustrates me more than only character with dark skin and abnormal skin tones being described, leaving the reader to assume everyone else is the "default" of white. Different skin tones are described, from tan to olive to pale. I was also pleased to see commentary on the sexualization of women in stories as being rewards, which got incorporated into the plot.
So, in conclusion, good book, was worried I'd need to drop it or ignore the sequels, and by the end, I was hooked enough to purchase the sequel (for a discounted price, but I would've gotten it from the library otherwise).
P.S. Brevity is adorable 10/10 would hug again.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying