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dundiesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I could critique a lot, it just wouldn't be fair though, because most of it comes down to personal preference and I'm sure this is great for the right audience.* So I'll leave it at: It's a solid story with fantastic (literal) ideas and complex characters. It's just not entirely my cup of tea.
Edit: *After looking at a couple of other reviews, I realised how much I'm not the target audience and it's no wonder I couldn't get into it as much, since I can't relate at all.
I also forgot to mention how confusing the "time jumps" were, listening to the audio book.
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Blood, Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse
alphabetseeds's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Child abuse
Minor: Animal death
caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Mental illness, Cursing, and Death
princegene95'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
5.0
The story invests you, wanting to know more about the dark world of the Ether and the background of its many gods.
But this story is also about a kid trying to deal with past trauma and new relationships. About someone ready to face those who have hurt them and (maybe) become a better person for it.
In the acknowledgments at the back of the book, it’s stated
As someone who has recently entered their first throuple, and is still trying to navigate how to interact with all members of the group, and this book perfectly describes those feelings.
I had really enjoyed the first book, and when opening the second to see a full list of content warnings, including things I don’t normally like to read about because it hits too close to home as someone both trans and has childhood trauma, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to read this book. But I am so glad I did. I can see why others wouldn’t like it. If they aren’t queer, or gender diverse, or haven’t dealt with trauma like this, they probably wouldn’t like it, or at the very least, not be able to relate to it like I have. And that’s something I love being able to do, is relate to the books I read. And this book is one that I can relate to, and I plan on rereading several months down the line because this is a story and a world I would like to revisit.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Blood, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
Minor: Deadnaming and Animal death
ctara2123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Mental illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death
krisalexcole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Animal death
pm_me_book_recs'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? Yes
4.0
How the story all comes together was really heartbreaking and cathartic. A truly beautiful rendition of a child's experience with deep deep trauma. There were some parts that felt a bit repetitive, but then I thought about my own experiences and thoughts during CPTSD spirals and realized it was spot on. The evolution of the characters is really sweet. I was honestly fine with the story focusing more on the main three instead of the entire cast.
I do agree with other reviewers that the existential time crises were sometimes hard to follow, or maybe out of place? I can't put my finger on it, but something about the portrayal didn't quite mesh with the story? It wasn't enough to derail or ruin anything, just kind of distracting. There were a few confusing or convenient things towards the end of the book that I went back and read twice to make sure I didn't miss anything... but somehow I'm still not understanding certain characters survival... This is a hard part to dive into without spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that. The plot holes got me pacing.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, appreciated as always.
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Murder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence
readingwithkaitlyn's review
Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Child death, Sexual content, Animal death, and Child abuse
Minor: War, Excrement, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Deadnaming, Cursing, Rape, and Colonisation