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ciwanski'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? Yes
3.0
Slow burn enemies to lovers, and the writing of them falling in love with each other was so sweet it actually made my stomach hurt.
Unfortunately the third act fell a little flat to me. There was so much hype throughout the book about the hunt that when we actually got to that point it felt anticlimactic. I just wish there was more of a lesson learned instead of just a point reiterated? If that makes sense? Like I craved a moment of wonder and clarity for the characters, but instead it all felt a little rushed and vague and more focused on the romance than the plot of anything else to be honest.
I was also kind of confused on the world building? Very obvious Christian vs Jewish bigotry (just under different names) but then I was so confused on how modern of a world it was? Like there were cars and radios and 1920s style and ways of life but more modern language and behaviors? Definitely Irish/English vibes in there too. Interesting choices.
A fun and easy read though!
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Alcohol
visorforavisor'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
5.0
Maggie Welty is the fantasy equivalent of Jewish, and Wes Winters is the fantasy equivalent of an Irish-diaspora Catholic. The way these religions, and the sectarianism imposed on them in early-20-th-century America, are blended into the exciting hunt plot is truly exceptional. The power held by the “White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant” types is evidenced here beautifully.
I’m Irish, and I speak the language pretty well. As such, I think my favourite detail of this book may be the impeccable integration of (correctly grammared, which is rare in American books) Irish-language terms into the text. Wes’s mother refers to him as “a thaisce” and “a leanbh”, Wes himself thinks about the aos sí, and so on. I particularly found interesting (and accurate) the naming of Wes’s family. His mother is Aoife, and he and his siblings are Madeline, Christine, Weston, Colleen, and Edie (I think I have the order right). His mother’s name is much more Irish, while the children have more Anglicised names (especially Colleen, whose name is an Anglicisation of the Irish word for “girl”). The Irish history of famine and the like was also not skimmed over.
I’m not Jewish and I don’t know a huge amount about Judaism, so I can’t speak to the accuracy of its portrayal in this book, but I loved how the fantasy elements were woven into the beliefs of the various religions represented in the story.
I don’t know whether it was deliberate, but Maggie was pretty explicitly coded as autistic, and Wes as ADHD and dyslexic. I loved this very much and found the writing of this aspect both amusing and true-to-life.
Would recommend to everyone.
Moderate: Racism and Classism
raptorq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation
not_another_ana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Since her childhood, the hunt has been nothing but a blood-soaked myth. The fare of true New Albian heroes, not country girls with Yu'adir fathers. It's never been real. But now it's here. Close enough to register. Close enough to win.
In New Albian, where alchemy is common and mythical beasts still roam about, Margaret Welty is stuck in a town that hates her waiting for her mother to return from her travels. She's resigned to an unexciting life when the hala, a supernatural violent creature resembling a fox, is spotted in her neck of the woods bringing the Halfmoon Hunt to her little town. Whoever can kill the hala will get riches and fame and Maggie is ready to take on the challenge. There's just one little problem, only pairs (consisting of a hunter and an alchemist) can enter the hunt. Enter Weston Winters, a wannabe alchemist who comes looking for Margaret's mother to hopefully become her apprentice. Together they're an unlikely pair, but they might just have what it takes to win.
If you want to read this book because the hunt and the alchemy sounded interesting then put it back down. The Halfmoon Hunt doesn't really being until 80% or so of the book. It isn't plot driven, it's propelled by the characters. The hala is only there to get the two protagonist to meet and spend time together. This is why I'm rating it 4 stars and not 5, even though I loved it. The action did not deliver and was more of an afterthought.
Here's what this book is really about: a slow burn romance that hinges on the understanding between these two characters that outwordly seem wildly different yet, on the inside, are both longing to belong. It is beautifully written, I lost count of how many lines of this I highlighted. The protagonists inner worlds are so well constructed and carefully layered that you deeply feel for them. The book also deals with a lot of religious discrimination and xenophobia, with Maggie and Wes both being religious minorities and having to face a lot of bigotry in the midst of their romance. If the action had been set up correctly this would have been an easy 5 stars to me.
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death
robin_reads'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
4.75
An Irish Catholic boy and a Jewish girl--though the names of the religions are different in this book. A lot of their story is about the hatred directed at them for where they come from/the beliefs associated with that. There is magic and alchemy (which felt a lot like Fullmetal Alchemist btw) and a horrible mother.
It was way more emotional and hit much closer to home than I expected.
All in all, this was very enjoyable! Do check CW/TW
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
chichisode's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
neni's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved Trouble the hound, especially because my own dear dog is of the same breed so I kept picturing her in the book :)
The pacing was a bit all over the place. The first third of the book felt slow and like nothing was happening, the middle was satisfying in that we finally had some progress in both the plot and the relationship between the main character's, but then the ending, while entertaining, was a bit rushed and left quite a few issues that had been brought up either unresolved or fixed so quickly it didn't feel believable.
I must say as well: the fact that the whole character's main thing was being a huntress and loving it, didn't sit quite well with me as I don't agree with hunting for sport. The descriptions of fox killing as a sport (both the magical/mythical type and the plain normal animal) bothered me.
Overall, this was an okay read, especially vibesy for autumn and with some good romance and pining in the middle but not particularly strong either in plot or character complexity.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
3.5
I'm also not a fan of white, raised Christian people writing about marginalized people when they haven't had those experiences. I know the author is LGBT+ and probably has faced prejudice because of it, but the discrimination and oppression one experiences based on religion and race/ethnicity is quite different. I don't like white authors saying that racial and religious minorities need to take the high road to be better than their oppressors like what has been illustrated in this book.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism
zoiejanelle'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? It's complicated
4.0
a few qualms: and listen, i’m not trying to get cancelled here or make any accusations… but at times i truly felt like some scenes were lifted directly out of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Roy Mustang/Riza Hawkeye fanfiction i’ve read. an alchemist and a sharpshooter? the sharpshooter has a mad scientist/absentee parent? the alchemist wants to become a politician? blonde and black hair (actually, their whole physical descriptions honestly)? set in the same fantasy time period? (spoilers)
also i can’t give it a 5 because
ANYWAY i loved this book, seriously. it was so well-paced, no major plot holes, the writing was actually GOOD and tasteful, there were clear allegories to current world issues, i loved all the characters and thought they were all believable and enjoyable, and the ending was very satisfying.
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Child death and Death of parent