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ssione5's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Vomit, Violence, Slavery, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Child death, Trafficking, Suicide, Torture, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
booksthatburn's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The story is told in a journal format, with a few entries to establish Beka's backstory and place in the Tortall books, then it switches completely to Beka's journal that she keeps as part of her Dog training.
Beka is from the slums of the Lower City, and she lives near the Kennel she's assigned to as a Dog. She has some friends among the Puppies, she gets to know her training Dogs (Tunstall and Goodwin), and she ends up making a few friends with rushers new to the court of the Rogue. She has a cat with purple eyes, and a magical ability that lets her get information that other Dogs cannot. She ends up on the trail of two sets of murders: someone hiring workers and then killing them to keep their efforts secret, and someone who’s been extorting poor people by kidnapping their kids. Beka trains, goes on patrol with her Dogs, and tries to make things right in a city with too few good Dogs to handle ordinary crime, let alone spree and serial killers.
Beka makes friends, straight and crooked, and tries to keep from crossing any lines that can’t be uncrossed. The camaraderie in the morning group which develops is a bright spot in her world of patrols, fights, and death. She has strong friendships with individuals and as a group. The journal format of the book lends itself well to conveying their growing friendships, which are a strong point of the novel.
TERRIER closes with Beka still a Puppy but wiser than when she began, and ready for her next challenge. The story closes off so neatly that it feels like it could have been a stand-alone, but instead it’s the first in a trilogy.
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Rape, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Ableism, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent
Threats of rapejenniferrobinson11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Minor: Domestic abuse
inferiorwit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Excrement, Trafficking, Suicide, Vomit, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death and Child abuse
wardenred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Otherwise, I liked the cast of characters and the development they all got, and the found family vibes. Beka's cat companion stole the show more than once. The setting was described vividly, in rich detail, and made me feel like I've really walked the streets of the Lower City.
The only reason this isn't a five-star read for me is that I never quite clicked with the main character. I liked following what happend to her, but I didn't feel connected to her / didn't enjoy being in her head, I guess? And since the book is written in the form of Beka's journal entries, that often created a bit of dissociation from the story for me. Definitely a me problem and not the book's, or maybe not so much a problem at all as a personal preference—we can't click perfectly with every main character we meet!
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
ginameix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Slavery
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexism, and Torture
inka_z'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, and Violence
rini'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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
obviousthings's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Death, Suicide, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Excrement