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heather_e's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexism
uss_mary_shelley's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A novelette that really captured my heart. Knowing about the main events in this alternate history and them being brought together like this that also felt so kind and important made the short book a lovely read for the day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Violence
leguinstan's review against another edition
I was so intrigued by the alternate history premise but unfortunately I couldn't stomach the *purple prose and I had difficulties understanding what was going on. The rapid switches in POV, the lack of context, the obtuse language... it was all very frustrating.
*ex: "Clever-turning cicada-ticking sun-chasers they tied together so that they would always know where she was, clinging to the sun's fiery tail like frightened calves."
*ex: "Clever-turning cicada-ticking sun-chasers they tied together so that they would always know where she was, clinging to the sun's fiery tail like frightened calves."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
pandapuffs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
bbrown's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
the_grimdragon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
"They killed their own just to see time pass."
This is a wee little thing, clocking in just under 100 pages, but the story inside is massive!
The Only Harmless Great Thing is an alternate history of the Radium Girls. Do you know about this tragic past? During World War I, young women who worked in clock factories painting tiny numbers on watch faces contracted radiation poisoning. Many of them suffered horrifically, with the radium eating their bones from the inside (radium jaw was especially terrifying!) Over 50 died as a result.
That I knew, but the tale of Topsy was unknown to me. She was an elephant that was strangled, poisoned & electrocuted to death in front of a crowd, including a crew from a movie company who filmed it. For real. What in actual fuck? Humans are the worst.
The Only Harmless Great Thing interweaves these two stories in such an unexpected way. It's about radioactive elephants that glow-in-the-dark, war, memories, mythologies, traditions & oppression. Told in a beautifully poetic, intelligently written, hauntingly gut-wrenching way.
This is a wee little thing, clocking in just under 100 pages, but the story inside is massive!
The Only Harmless Great Thing is an alternate history of the Radium Girls. Do you know about this tragic past? During World War I, young women who worked in clock factories painting tiny numbers on watch faces contracted radiation poisoning. Many of them suffered horrifically, with the radium eating their bones from the inside (radium jaw was especially terrifying!) Over 50 died as a result.
That I knew, but the tale of Topsy was unknown to me. She was an elephant that was strangled, poisoned & electrocuted to death in front of a crowd, including a crew from a movie company who filmed it. For real. What in actual fuck? Humans are the worst.
The Only Harmless Great Thing interweaves these two stories in such an unexpected way. It's about radioactive elephants that glow-in-the-dark, war, memories, mythologies, traditions & oppression. Told in a beautifully poetic, intelligently written, hauntingly gut-wrenching way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
adriennne's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, and Death
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