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Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
This book is every bit as dramatic and ridiculous as the other AFTG books, and I ate it up!! I love Jean, I love Jeremy, I love Cat and Laila, of course I love my feral son Neil whenever he shows up. This book also employs one of my absolute favorite, criminally underused tropes: when characters are introduced that are part of a group of some kind, such as a team, a religion, a species, etc.; and we assume their quirks and habits and way of life are just the standard for that group. Then, later, more characters from that same collective are introduced who are just. The most absurdly normal people. And we realize, oh, those other guys are just freaks!
We spent three books with the Foxes and Ravens, the most traumatized and maladjusted group of people you've ever seen in your life, who all speak in edgy Green Day lyrics and treat exy like it's their religion. And now, suddenly, we get an inside look into a third team, which is comprised of a bunch of normal college kids who play a sport; and we realize that most teams are comprised of normal people playing a sport, and no one actually knows just how co-dependent and cult-like an exy team can get. The Ravens and Foxes live in a completely different world than the rest of the exy players.
"He hasn't played a clean game in years," Kevin admitted, "but he knows how to follow orders. If you tell him to submit, he will."
"Literally the most awkward way you could've worded it," Jeremy said.
We're used to the dialogue being ultra dramatic and serious, but juxtaposed with a totally normal guy like Jeremy's reaction, it's hilarious. The stark contrast between their realities is jarring. In Jean's case, it's usually downright heart-breaking. But every now and then the humor pokes through, because we all know it's ridiculous, and now we finally have some other characters who can point out how ridiculous it is.
Ridiculous, but heartfelt. As with the rest of the books, the love the author has for this story shines through every page. Nora embraces the cringe and commits to it, and so it transcends cringe and becomes... kind of beautiful, actually. Outrageous and overly-dramatic and angst-ridden and tropey, and an absolute banger.
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood
Minor: Suicide, Torture, Suicide attempt, Murder
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Trafficking, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt
It was great to get more insight in another great team (The Trojans) and more into this cult like (The Ravens) after seeing our favorite Foxes in the main series.
The first 100 pages play around the same time of "The Kings Men" (third and last book in the aftg series... If these books aren't counted to the series as well) and after that take their own story in a full go, nothing much happens, we go more with Jean's inner turmoil, but for me that's enough to make an interesting book. I cannot wait for the second part of the series, interested in how the end of this one will play out. How will Jean's first year as a non-Raven go?
Nora did, once again, real good work in creating amazing characters you just want to get to know more! The story itself, the writing and all aren't that good, but somehow she still manages to write an amazing story, I don't know how, but I love her for this!
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder, Medical content, Stalking