Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Bloed en beenderen by Tomi Adeyemi

21 reviews

jasminedaria's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • 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

5.0


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marysunburn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The best way to describe Children of Blood and Bone is that it RIPS. 
Juvenile, I know, but nothing could be more apt. 

Children of Blood and Bone – from this point onward COBAB – is a chilling, action-packed, emotional and necessary fantasy saga that embodies like nothing I've ever seen before the sheer pain, rage and discomfort that comes from imperialism and oppression. From the moment we see our main character Zélie first wield her staff in combat we ache with her same desire to slam it onto the guts of whichever pawn of the king first comes her way, and we cheer for her whenever said desire is fulfilled. 
Despite it being labeled young adult, COBAB is gritty and pulls no punches. Death is always present, a constant threat and a lived reality, that doesn't even spare the young and innocent. Or, to put it more bluntly, don't get too attached. 
This constant stream of young blood is put in perspective once we read the conclusion of the book and we see how author Tomi Ayedemi was inspired by real-life events of police brutality and anti-black racism, many of which, such as the death of Tamir Rice, had very young victims. And despite the main villains being as black as the people he oppresses (there's no white people in this book except as background dressing in some of said villain's dialogue and analogies, which is very "main villain" of him), the parallels to these real-life acts of cruelty and vile prejudice ring just as true through the earnest, heartfelt portrayal of their demise, each one being remembered and commemorated by Zélie even after many chapters of vicissitudes and daring-do, and the genuine call to action and resistance that permeates each one of the pages. 
Zélie is one of the best literary protagonists I've had the pleasure to come across. A passionate, vibrant young woman whose anger and indignation, thoroughly woven with a strong sense of morality and desire to do what's right, even if it's strategically inconvenient or seems impossible at first glance, drives the plot and her party through every obstacle like a righteous burst of energy. 
She's surrounded by a well-developed and engaging cast, from rebellious princess Amari, who has the best character evolution in the books, to reluctant crown prince Inan, to Zelle's protective and level-headed brother Tzain, to even minor characters like Mama Agba and Admiral Kaea. Yet, in her defiant persistence and spirit, Zélie seems to dwarf them all, and when she lights up, so do we. 

If there's anything in Children of Blood and Bone that doesn't spark joy, aside from the involved indignation at the villains' depravity and the many deaths, is the fact that even after six years since its release it's still not getting its due. A movie directed by Gina Prince-Blythewood has been announced, but nothing seems to be made of it and I'd not be surprised if the ever-delayed, ever-nebulous The Old Guard sequel comes first. If it does. But by all means, keep saying black and diverse books don't sell because people don't want them, while you peddle abusive Booktok alphahole tripe that recycles the status quo. 

In the end, COBAB's world is as real as many things around us – and even more so than meritocracy. 

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lizzie24601's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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sarina_goh's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5


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bookishperseus's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced
  • 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


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mahra's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

As a fellow West African person, I really enjoyed the world created (the magic system is a bit confusing though). The prose was also pretty good.

However, it was way too tropey and predictable for me. I was very excited to read this, and this is exactly what I did not want to see. For me, it falls into the category of books that borrow way too much from the most popular YA fantasy books that we’ve all read (you know them). And because of that, reading this felt like reading a pale copy of many books that I’ve already read. This is unfortunate because the concept is great. 

There was also way too much pointless violence. I understand what the author was trying to do, but I don’t think it was executed well. I also do not think that this is the best idea. There are better ways to tackle these issues
(racism/anti-Blackness, police brutality, State violence…)
and spread that message. 

Unfortunately, I do not think I will read the second and third book. 

PS: The characters were all annoying, except Amari. The romance was horrible. Inan was insufferable. That lady who kept saying his name too.

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eternallyunsatisfied's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Stunning. This book is about taking back your power and embracing your magic. It’s well-written, interesting, and powerful. The chapters are short, the characters are interesting, and the plot is exciting. 

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trayslays's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75


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robinks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • 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

The world-building was a bit slow in the beginning, but once our characters’ stories started intersecting, the book moved so quickly. Inan’s character was a bit confusing to me (though I think he is also just confused generally), but I loved watching Amari & Zélie’s growth and relationship development.
Also, the complexities of revolution against oppression were present in the characters’ struggles and conversations, which inspired me to consider these same complexities in reality. I want to know more about this world, and I want to know what happens next!

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