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clunttoo's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It was fine. The book started off very strong and was extremely gripping, but I feel like it lost most of its steam a quarter of the way through by turning away from the aspects of the story that were most compelling: the girls and their experiences. Certain plot elements felt like a total slap in the face and not at all in line with the message it seemed to be trying to communicate, which made it feel very hollow and almost insulting to read at certain points. Some of the twists felt a little simplistic and others were shoehorned in to the detriment of the story. I think it’s still a good book if you want a fast, unchallenging read that’s interesting enough to get you to the end, but don’t go into this expecting high art or something with more than surface-level social commentary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Murder, Sexism, and Torture
Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
sarasm's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicide, and Sexual assault
tanieeahhhh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Sexism, Confinement, Blood, and Misogyny
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
Minor: Animal death
jaec11's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The Grace Year
*I listened to the audiobook, so if names are spelled wrong that's why*
This has been on my tbr forever, so I had high hopes for it
Nope. Tyranny is one of the most obnoxious characters I have ever read. She has no distinctive qualities. She's just annoying.
The writing style annoys me as well. Everything is over described in this overly dramatic way, trying to be all edgy and metaphorical. Making this up but the writing goes sounds like "the cool stone beneath my long fingers felt powerful and strong, the only sense of power I had ever felt in the entire world for the past sixteen years of my existence" on and on.
Stupid things in this book that annoy me:
-tyranny hating her mom then deciding to follow her advice blindly
-tyranny and kirsten having a moment and then just unreasonably continuing to go about fighting
-Tyranny deciding to plant ALL her seeds in the middle of a snowstorm
-tyranny yanks an axe out of herself, despite having a doctor dad who would surely teach her not to take out an object tamponading her blood
-Stocholm Syndrome. Enough said.
Okay not enough said because the romance is the most annoying thing in this book. The way she describes being in love with him is so ridiculous. "Being near him is a balm" apparently.
I will say, the idea of this is interesting. The metaphors for how women are treated is fascinating, however a strong plot with weak characters and writing does not make for a good book. If you are looking for a thriller with feminist messages, read Girls with Sharp Sticks. Not this bs.
*I listened to the audiobook, so if names are spelled wrong that's why*
This has been on my tbr forever, so I had high hopes for it
Nope. Tyranny is one of the most obnoxious characters I have ever read. She has no distinctive qualities. She's just annoying.
The writing style annoys me as well. Everything is over described in this overly dramatic way, trying to be all edgy and metaphorical. Making this up but the writing goes sounds like "the cool stone beneath my long fingers felt powerful and strong, the only sense of power I had ever felt in the entire world for the past sixteen years of my existence" on and on.
-tyranny hating her mom then deciding to follow her advice blindly
-tyranny and kirsten having a moment and then just unreasonably continuing to go about fighting
-Tyranny deciding to plant ALL her seeds in the middle of a snowstorm
-tyranny yanks an axe out of herself, despite having a doctor dad who would surely teach her not to take out an object tamponading her blood
-Stocholm Syndrome. Enough said.
Okay not enough said because the romance is the most annoying thing in this book. The way she describes being in love with him is so ridiculous. "Being near him is a balm" apparently.
I will say, the idea of this is interesting. The metaphors for how women are treated is fascinating, however a strong plot with weak characters and writing does not make for a good book. If you are looking for a thriller with feminist messages, read Girls with Sharp Sticks. Not this bs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Blood
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