Reviews tagging 'Biphobia'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

35 reviews

arttichokedipp's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

First book of the year, first 5-star of the year.

This is everything. Everything I find wrong with YA, gone. Everything I dislike about fantasy, gone. Everything I dislike about scifi, gone. Only the good parts remain and it is so, SO good.

Particularly, for those who have negative feelings about love triangles, never fear.

I hate love triangles because things would be so easy if they ended in polyamory half the time that it would cut the book in half. This one? THIS ONE DOES. Not only does the girl get with both guys, who are totally cool with that, but they get together as well. The triangle is the strongest shape, as you'll see.

My only complaint is there's a sort of "bury your gays" situation, but I'm hoping based on the epilogue that it's not permanent.

10/10, I'm so glad I stumbled upon their YouTube videos and decided to pick up their book when it came out.

(Edited because I messed up their pronouns. So sorry!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia

Minor: Biphobia, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking

There is allusion to intersexism, in that it's rumoured that intersex people may exist but they're not taught about and the narrator speculates on how they may be mistreated for being born different.

sapphic_reader's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

• 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Body shaming, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Genocide

Minor: Animal death, Biphobia, Rape, and Colonisation

Rep: Polyamorous relationship POC characters Bisexual main characters

mn0rgan's review

adventurous fast-paced

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

2.0

This book is poorly written, poorly planned with no hint of character depth or development. 

The author tried to cram as many controversial topics in as possible and rushed over any resolution or understanding of the issues. It really feels like she crammed in all these things to gain brownie points and to say that her book includes them. This has a terrible portrayal of Bi people and polyamory. If the goal was to portray an unhealthy polyamorous reaction ship; she did succeed at that. 

Everything plot wise was so coincidental and convenient for the protagonist and though she ran into man “issues” she didn’t actually have to put in effort to resolve any of them. All the other character in the books were merely accessories. 

The relationships were extremely frustrating because the book provided no reason for these characters to be in love or care for or want to support each other beyond the protagonist suddenly going “I think maybe they’re bi too” 

It reads like an unedited fan fiction. The lore doesn’t make sense, contradicting itself consistently and the end was entirely predictable. There is no consistent mood or flow. There is no rhyme or reason for any of the decisions or actions of the protagonist. There is excessive detail for things that don’t contribute to the story and a stark lack of detail for anything that would immerse the reader. 

For the majority of the book there isn’t even a reason to KEEP reading. No drive to see the characters succeed or persevere. It was a rushed timeline and plot (if you can even say there is a plot to begin with). The language is inconsistent at best making the narrator entirely unreliable. She will go from speaking very educated and powerfully to using “bonkers” 

I was incredibly disappointed because this book was hyped up so much, it has potential for a great setting and story. It was just very badly done. I only finished it because it was for a book club. I really wish I hadn’t spent money on this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Torture, Body horror, Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Addiction, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism and Biphobia

Minor: Rape

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Medical content, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

foreverinastory's review

adventurous dark tense fast-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

What the fuck. I want the next one immediately. Reading the Author's Note now, it gave me chills. Truly this work is incredible.

Rep: Chinese polyamorous female MC with bound feet & uses a wheelchair, bisexual Chinese male love interest, alcoholic bisexual Chinese male love interest, supporting cast of all Chinese characters. While the world heavily relies on the gender binary, there are discussions that gender and sex are not binary.

CWs: Acephobia/Acemisia, alcohol/alcoholism--forced development of alcoholism, internalized biphobia/bimisia, blood, body horror (bound feet), body shaming/fatphobia, colonisation, confinement to chrysalis vehicles and prison cells, death/death of parents, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, forced enlistment of women as concubines, gaslighting, mental illness (PTSD/panic attacks), misogyny, murder, racial slurs, attempted rape/mentions of past rape/sexual violence, sexism, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, torture, war, violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, and Violence