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ender24'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: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Gaslighting, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, War, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
yourbookishbff'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, War, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Trafficking, Addiction, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Torture, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief and Xenophobia
angelofthestars'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Genocide, Blood, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Ableism, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
julesadventurezone'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, and Torture
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, War, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
solarel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Is it healthy? Probably not. Was it so so satisfying? Hell yes.
I feel like this is what men must feel like after watching those war movies or something. God it feels powerful to read of Zeitan’s rise.
That being said: I wish this was an adult book, not YA. It had potential to be more and go deeper. The romance line could have carried more weight if they had the ability to flesh it out more, beyond the YA label. Also the “girl” and “boy” phrasing felt juvenile. You’re 18 now, time to stop calling yourself a girl exclusively. And a man in his early 20s is not a boy. It was the only part I disliked.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Death, Torture, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Sexual assault, Biphobia, and Trafficking
sailorplutoid'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, War, Murder, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Rape, and Torture
Minor: Child abuse, Colonisation, Ableism, Bullying, Child death, and Sexual violence
In chapter two you learnmacknificent's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
"One last thing,” I say over my shoulder, too quiet for my family to hear over the hovercraft churning. “Don’t think I’ve overlooked that you came to my house and almost foiled my plan, despite knowing how important it is to me. If you tip off the army in even the slightest way, I will kill myself when they lock me up, and then I will haunt you.”
What I Liked: The opening of the book was stellar! I felt like I was in the midst of a Gundam battle and somehow it had been turned into a novel! The world felt very full and the characters were complex, Wu Zetian's fury and follow through was glorious in the first portion of the book. I appreciated the constant call out of the patriarchy and how it was shown to affect every level of their world.
What I Didn't Like: Once Wu Zetian achieved her initial objective it felt like the book lost its momentum and cohesiveness. In the second half of the book we jumped from gritty & dark to sappy & thoroughly YA with no warning, rhythm or purpose. As happens with many debuts, the ending felt rushed as we tried to wrap up a lot of loose ends and set up for the next book.
I enjoyed this book immensely but there are issues with consistency and character cohesiveness that I hope are improved in the next book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, War, Rape, Self harm, and Xenophobia
missindyrose'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
karambit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Rape, and Sexual content
porshea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m just gonna say it: I love revenge. Like seriously, 😍 justice-fulfilling revenge. If that vengeance narrative is led by a confident woman who makes the world better by a stabby stab here or there, you can sign me up! Which is why when I heard the premise of Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow late in 2020, my levels of excitement and anticipation hit their peaks.
Funnily enough, looking forward to this book is counter to the emotional detachment that Iron Widow’s main character, Zeitan, feels for herself or those around her. As we start the book, Zeitan looks forward to one thing only, her impending conscription into her world’s mecha-based military. Far from patriotic, Zeitan has one mission in mind: kill the army’s golden boy just like he murdered her older sister. Of course, once she gets on the inside, she finds that achieving her primary objective is not enough. Deciding that she must make the world better for all women who have faced similar levels of familial and national mistreatment wherein patriarchal values uphold brutal measures of foot binding, domestic violence, and no real freedoms for those assigned female at birth. Zeitan quells her distaste for the system by trying to work within it to keep young women from being murdered without remorse in the brutal mecha conditions they are forced to endure. To do this, she must make alliances with the most unlikely of people: those who already benefit from this deadly world order.
Read more here: https://blackgirlscreate.org/2021/09/the-plot-thickens-iron-widow/
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, and War