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bi_n_large's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Moderate: Dementia, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Mental illness, and Child abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Eating disorder
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Death, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
I felt like the story had a lot of wasted or unexplored potential. You have a circus that traveled all over the world, yet the majority of the story took place in Europe and the U.S.; there was a lot that could've been explored in this respect, yet the opportunity was wasted. Furthermore, while the story's about the famed circus, it felt more like 'conversations about it and those that took place in it'; I personally felt the show-not-tell trick was really not utilized here. The book would've been a lot more interesting if we got to see how both Celia and Marco costructed their tents and creations, all the magic that was involved. Instead, readers were often transported to when all the fun bits were over, after the magic stuff was already done and we got to see only the results.
The challenge between Celia and Hector was also made to seem a lot more complex and serious than it actually was. For something that had deadly consequences and put the lives of so many involved, the reasoning behind the challenge and the workings of it were insufficient and frustratingly glossed over.
To sum up, my main issue is w/ the book's wasted opportunity at exploring its full, possibly-fantastic potential--a lot of fluff w/ no substance--but it's also balanced out by the fact that it's quite original and undeniably charming.
Moderate: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Minor: Murder and Death
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
March 26, 2014
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Suicide, Death, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Car accident, Dementia, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Self harm
Minor: Sexual content, Animal death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexism
bencaroline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Murder, Infidelity, Child abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Addiction, and Trafficking
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, and Animal cruelty