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karcitis'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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use, War, Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury
jessthanthree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Abandonment, Racism, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racial slurs, and Grief
Minor: Cannibalism, Drug use, and Colonisation
morimyths'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Violence
Minor: Slavery, War, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Suicide, Abandonment, and Death of parent
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The book begins in 1850s Louisiana with the main character escaping slavery and then falling in with a group of vampires. I will say, my least favorite part of the book by far was the fact that Gilda initially didn't have a name (she's just "the Girl") and inherits her name from another vampire. I'm not against the "new Gilda" thing. I just wish that she'd had another name first or that she'd actively chosen to go by Gilda instead of it seemingly just being put on her. I felt like she lacked agency a lot for the first couple of chapters, and that made it hard to get into the book initially, which was unfortunate because that's where we meet most of the recurring characters and get introduced to the vampire lore.
I definitely think the book got stronger toward the middle. The Broadway chapter and the 2020 chapter were definitely my favorites.
The writing style didn't totally work for me, but the content very much did, and I would absolutely recommend this classic Black lesbian vampire novel.
Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Vomit, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Incest
Incest warning is just in case, for the ambiguity of certain relationships.fareehareads'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
Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide attempt and Death
The 25th anniversary collection contains an updated note about the predictions of The Gilda Stories, and quotes from Audre Lorde texts which were influential in Jewelle's work. I highly recommend looking.poirot'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? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Slavery, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and War
caseythereader'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
3.5
- It took me a bit to get into this story, as I often find older novels keep the characters at a bit of a remove for my tastes. But once I got a handle on it, I was invested in Gilda and her search for a place and people to belong with.
- It reminded me quite a bit of Octavia E. Butler's work, not just for the vampire parallels to FLEDGLING, but also for the considerations of complex relationships and families as characters navigate new situations and realities.
Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Vomit, Racial slurs, and Rape
liminal'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicide attempt
sraymartin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Murder and Rape