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novella42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I wanted this to hit me like Sangu Mandanna's The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, which I realize was written two years after The House in the Cerulean Sea. Why was I swept away by that one enough to buy a copy for my comfort bookshelf, but not by this one? Especially when I love queer romances of all genders, I really thought that'd tip the balance for me. Maybe the spice level was higher in the other? Maybe because I don't do well with body horror, which felt fairly graphic in The House in the Cerulean Sea? (Probably folks who read a lot of horror would consider it tame, but it kept repeating a trigger for my C-PTSD, so I'm biased here.)
Spoiler about a problematic theme related to the children's make-believe adventures:
Still a good book overall. I might pick up the second book at the library someday, when all the furor dies down.
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death of parent, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder
Minor: Cursing
fred___'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Racism, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Child abuse, Classism, and Trafficking
erikagibson126's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
scmiller's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Child abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Torture, Colonisation, and Abandonment
audriew9's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
itsmaryssae's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse
arshiya_amreen90786's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Body shaming, Colonisation, and Fatphobia
Minor: Homophobia
zephyrfgray'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? Yes
0.5
I wish I hadn't bought this book on Audible,,, smh. I will not be reading any of this author's work in the future.
Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Forced institutionalization
fiveredhens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Xenophobia
jesromas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Colonisation and Racism
Minor: Confinement