Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

7 reviews

plumpeony's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Sexism, Bullying, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Stalking, Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Child death

Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Pedophilia, and Rape

bookcheshirecat's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

“She knew he was angry, but she couldn't stop laughing. "Forgive me, Po. I was only trying to get your attention." "And I suppose it never occurs to you to start small. If I told you my roof needed rebuilding, you'd start by knocking down the house.”

➽ I finally read Graceling and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I tried reading it about two years ago and had to put down the book, as I was bored and uninvested. Imagine my surprise when I genuinely enjoyed it this time around! I think listening to the audiobook really helped, as my library had the full cast version (I think there’s a different version with just one narrator?), that brought the characters to life vividly. The audiobook had me really engaged and looking forward to picking up the book again! 

➽ The world of Graceling is interesting but not remarkable to me. Maybe this is because the book came out decades ago and since then there have been so many great Fantasy books. Nevertheless, I loved the concept of the Graces: extraordinary skills that go beyond what normal humans can do. Graced people are always born with two differently colored eyes (e.g. Katsa has a blue and green eye) and their abilities vary greatly. Katsa is skilled at killing and others have mystical skills like telepathy, but there are also ‘ordinary’ Graces like cooking or dancing. Unfortunately, Gracelings are often outcasts and feared regardless of their skill. In most countries, they have to serve the king and are sent back if their Grace isn’t useful enough. Either they become tools for their rulers to use or are feared and regarded with suspicion. 

➽ Katsa really surprised me as a character. She’s the niece of the king of the Middluns and is used like a weapon by him because of her killing Grace. Therefore Katsa has a unique position as a skilled fighter in a world where most women don’t get the chance to learn certain skills. Given that this book was written in 2008, Katsa was a really well-rounded character that didn’t fall into the typical ‘Not Like Other Girls’ pitfalls. Despite being less feminine than is expected of her, she doesn’t scorn other women and I was glad that she bonds with a young girl in the second half of the book, as before that there aren’t any prominent female characters. Katsa struggles with her Grace and the isolation that comes with it. She doesn’t want to be a killer and takes back her agency so that no one else can use her. I understood her fears and struggles with the identity her Grace gave her. 

➽ I also loved Prince Po and his dynamic with Katsa! He’s a Graceling from another Kingdom called Lienid and has a fighting Grace that allows him to keep up with, but not surpass Katsa’s abilities. I loved their banter and how charming and funny Po could be - you just had to like him. Unlike others, he doesn’t fear Katsa because of her Grace and accepts her as she is. I loved that he never tried to change her and didn’t ask her to compromise her beliefs in order to build a future with him. It’s clear from the beginning that Katsa never intends to marry - as in this realm it’ll always give the husband power over his wife, no matter if he uses it or not - and Po understand that. They build their own relationship, free from others’ opinions! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Incest, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Misogyny, Violence, Confinement, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Sexual content

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Incest, Kidnapping, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Torture, and Vomit

Minor: Child death and Abortion

ava_ba's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• 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

This book was outstanding I simply don’t care what anyone has to say, Katsa and Po were everything and Bitterblue deserves the planet

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism

Minor: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Murder

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Torture

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pedophilia, Sexual content, War, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Incest, and Grief

Animal attack. Near drowning.

claudiamacpherson's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Grief, Misogyny, Vomit, Outing, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Torture

booksthatburn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

This is a YA novel with an aspec protagonist (my best guess is she'd say demi if that language were available) who ends up in a relationship with someone who meets her on her terms rather than demanding she meet his. It's nice to see an aspec character whose aro/ace nature isn't overwritten or ignored in order to give her a relationship, how she is is part of how they are together.

It's about loneliness, abuse, and healing, including abuse to children and animals, so please be aware that those are major themes in the book. 

The world building is solid, with enough detail to make later revelations feel important. The explanations feel natural, occurring as something happens or Katsa thinks of some detail. This makes it feel like the world is slowly being revealed even though early on it's not new to the protagonist. I like Po, he had a difficult set of things to balance and overall I like how he is with Katsa. His situation towards the end skirts some potentially problematic ableist tropes but manages to not make it seem like his late-acquired disability is what gives him greater control of his powers. YMMV on whether this works, I think it does because of the precise order of events.

Overall I like this a lot and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Death

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Animal death, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual assault