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keeganrb'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
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny and Rape
Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicide
vivelarevolution'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? It's complicated
This author has, for whatever mysterious unhinged reason, decided to depict Jesus as a fucking pedophile. Ana, the protagonist, is 15 when they marry. Since Jesus's age was left ambiguous, I read on for a bit, assuming that he might have been a bit older than her but surely not more than a couple of years. I was wrong. It's not long before Jesus's age is confirmed - he's at least 21.
I don't particularly care that the legal age of marriage in Rome was 12. We all know that shit is sick. Why someone would want to imply that marriage between a 15 year old and a 21 year old is not only acceptable but so freaking acceptable that they'll write about the founder of their religion doing it is incomprehensible to me.
Also, there is explicit sexual harassment and abuse of Ana by Herod in the preceding chapters. I thought their inclusion was strange despite the time period and general theme of rape culture in the book and I should've listened to that instinct. No way could this author have written a sincere and meaningful condemnation of rape culture while explicitly condoning and celebrating child marriage & rape.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Antisemitism
morganwiard's review
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Sexual content
Minor: Slavery
raydgaf's review
4.75
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
chandle5's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Miscarriage and Slavery
ehmannky'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
4.0
I really liked the depiction of Jesus in this book. Like, a good dude all around and the kind of Jesus I wish we grew up learning about. I personally would like us to have more Jesus stuff centered like this. I feel like... I get being a woman sucked ass for most of all time but I think that like this was just a little heavy on it. Like, I feel there could have been more to have Ana find joy and community in working with other woman doing what is traditionally *Women's work* instead of having her be bad at it eternally. It felt that yes, she was being stifled as a woman who wanted to write, but also it felt very demeaning to the work that all the other woman who aren't ~extraordinary~ do in the novel. Like, for a novel that's all about telling the unsung stories of women (which it does do in some regards), it sure doesn't like...care too deeply about the ones who actually cooked for and clothed the extraordinary ones.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
emscozyreadingcorner's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was by far and away one of my favorite books I've ever read. The main protagonist, Ana, is courageous and fierce. The author uses Ana's story to explore what it might have been like to be a feminist woman at the time of Jesus, yet she does not shy away from the idea that Ana has desires for things that are expected of her as well.
That is all I will say in the non-spoilery review of this. Just read it.
The theme of found family was especially prevalent. Ana never felt as though her birth parents really cared for her; in fact, their trying to sell her to Antipas as a concubine was proof of that. But Ana was able to find a family who truly did care for her. Yaltha, Mary, Mary Magdala, Diodora, Tabitha, and of course, her husband, Jesus.
I enjoyed reading of Jesus as a human. He was the first to have an open acceptance of Ana as who she really was. He accepts her truth without question. When she says she does not wish to have children, he respects her decision. When she gets pregnant and suffers a miscarriage, he defies custom and comes to her when she is considered religiously "unclean." Ana's relationship with Jesus is a remarkable exploration of the prejudices seen in Christianity and a profound way of saying that Jesus would have accepted everyone as they were.
Ana's relationship with Judas was another point of intrigue. After he betrays Jesus and kills himself, Ana chooses to mourn the version of Judas she knew as a child. She understands that Judas hated Rome more than he loved Jesus, but does not forgive him for what he did. As someone who has family members I love but don't talk to because of differing beliefs among other things, I thought this was a touching testament to how we do feel when people we love wrong us. We choose to remember and mourn the people they were when they were kind.
Ana and Yaltha are a cunning and intelligent pair. Repeatedly, they find ways around the confinements set upon them by society. Their resilience and determination to find happiness in a world which seems to defy is is nothing short of inspirational. As Yaltha says, "Life will be life and death will be death."
For me, the ending was the sweetest part. Ana found a purpose and a happy life with Tabitha and Diodora. She was enough as she was. And I think that message is incredibly important, especially for someone who spent her life looking for her purpose and not knowing what it was.
This book was incredibly well-researched. It was driven as much by Ana's own self-discovery as it was by time. I thought that the character development and world building were well-paced and balanced with each other. I did not feel the need to rush through this book; however, I did feel the need to take my time with it and let Kidd's storytelling unfold.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child death and Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
It's set during the time of Jesus and follows the life of Jesus. Click the spoiler tab for a list of scenes. No character names will be mentioned, but what happens to them specifically will be.shostakofish'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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death, Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Murder, and Misogyny
anastasia_reads'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
I loved getting into Ana's world everytime I opened this book. The historical context is so well researched that I feel I've learnt a lot while reading. The plot itself is amazingly well executed, with a flawless logic. I didn't find myself asking "why" for lack of context from the author's part. It really was like reading someone's memoir or autobiography. There were only a very few moments were the story got slow but picked up almost immediately so as to not vet boring. Long book (over 300 pages is long to me ^^) but so worthwhile! Would recommend if you enjoy female lead characters, coming of age novels a dive into history and/or rewritings of ancient texts!
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
emberysing'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? Yes
4.0
overall this just isn’t my type of story, and I couldn’t really connect to the main characters as much as I would’ve liked to have. but there’s a lot of heart in the story. it’s wonderful storytelling.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, and Violence