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susanatherly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Bullying, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Abandonment
rita250's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
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
A beautiful book. As always, Hardinge builds a fantastical world with its own unique sets of rules, to simultaneously tell a captivating adventure story and explore some of the complex, difficult questions of pain and hatred and healing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Body horror
totallyshelfaware's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, and Forced institutionalization
seyfert's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Violence, Trafficking, and Mental illness
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Death
sarahna's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.0
I think the concept of this was unique and interesting, and I really found the entire concept facsinating. The idea of spiders spreading curses is something I haven't seen in YA fantasy before, and Hardinge has a sort of whimsy about her writing that feels like a fairy tale. Objectively, the book is well written and fans of Hardinge's other books will definitely enjoy this one.
However, I just didn't really connect with the overall story. I don't know if it was the characters or the main conflict or what. It was enjoyable while I was listening to it, but it's likely not a book that I'll visit again.
However, I just didn't really connect with the overall story. I don't know if it was the characters or the main conflict or what. It was enjoyable while I was listening to it, but it's likely not a book that I'll visit again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Minor: Blood, Violence, and Gore
antimony's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the world of this book was so so so wonderful. AHH! swamps and marshes and spiders and curses and weaving and birds and Creatures............... what can i say except we should let frances hardinge do all the worldbuilding for every book ever . this wasn't my favorite of her books :( because the plot felt very. theres a lot going on and one reviewer described it as kinda quest after quest after quest so it kinda took me a while to get a handle on what the larger plot actually was. though once i got a handle on it this afternoon (i think part of my problem is that i simply didn't read at ALL this week) i really enjoyed it! and oh the country of raddith is overall a very cool place.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
mar_gier's review
fast-paced
5.0
This book was absolutely fantastic. I loved every second of it. The world Hardinge created was so interesting and gruesome, and I'd love to have another adventure set in Raddith some day.
The characters were fun and complex. Kellen and Nettle had an absolutely perfect dynamic - him the hotheaded magical sort, and her being the quiet sort that listens to the world. I really liked the other characters too.
The setting was actually pretty disturbing, and I loved it for that. I loved seeing the different creatures and magic from the wilds, as well as the wilds themselves. They were the most interesting character.
So yeah, absolutely recommend this. Definitely one of my favorite new books.
(Also, there's body horror mentioned in this. Like, a lot. So I would not recommend this for younger readers. It's definitely a YA book.)
The characters were fun and complex. Kellen and Nettle had an absolutely perfect dynamic - him the hotheaded magical sort, and her being the quiet sort that listens to the world. I really liked the other characters too.
The setting was actually pretty disturbing, and I loved it for that. I loved seeing the different creatures and magic from the wilds, as well as the wilds themselves. They were the most interesting character.
So yeah, absolutely recommend this. Definitely one of my favorite new books.
(Also, there's body horror mentioned in this. Like, a lot. So I would not recommend this for younger readers. It's definitely a YA book.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Death
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