Scan barcode
recycled_personalities's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Medical content, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Abandonment, Bullying, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Physical abuse
3lea'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
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Torture, and Body horror
Minor: Death
stressed_daisyy's review
- 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
Graphic: War, Body horror, Gore, and Blood
pixelpigeon's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Violence, War, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Blood, and Body horror
booksthatburn's review against another edition
Moderate: Cursing, Body horror, Medical trauma, Death, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content and Self harm
shaipanda's review
- 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
Since this book is almost exactly 400 pages it was perfect for me to read 100 pages at a time - I originally read the first 100 back in November over thanksgiving break and then just didn’t get back to it for a bit cause of business and fantasy slump etc
But I’m so so so glad I finally did and I desperately need the next/final book in the duology now
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Blood, and War
Moderate: Torture, Body horror, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
puttingwingsonwords'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, War, Blood, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
moonytoast's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.5
i think the worldbuilding really falls flat, especially the introduction of this 'religion' around the Windups and then it means absolutely nothing to the consequences of the universe other than one (1) vaguely pseudo-religious holiday that is more about a nation celebrating its might than anything.... also there are certain things that make it feel not at ALL centuries removed from our current culture. it's difficult for me to believe that this story takes place in a war-torn world where there's one all-powerful governing force that decimated its enemies, hundreds of years removed from our own time, while having the characters speak and behave like modern kids/teens while drinking hot chocolate and reading old romance novels (because i guess there aren't books anymore?).
additionally, i had several issues with the characters. i really feel like this tries to lay on the found family dynamic a bit thick, with a level of annoying hijinks that eventually lose their comedy and become bland and repetitive. milo was especially disappointing, because i was hoping for a much more nuanced reaction to eris' return to camp with sona in tow.... that did not happen at all. his reaction and the way his character is treated in the narration felt weirdly overzealous and then set up an entirely predictable subplot for this character, who becomes reduced to a two-dimensional draco malfoy-esque nuisance (my sincerest apologies for the hp reference, it was the only thing that came to mind to describe how i felt about this character and how he was framed by the story). he could have been sidelined so much better than he was in order to make way for the relationship between eris and sona. all the other characters, even eris and sona in some ways, suffer similar fates to being not fully-realized and complex characters. SPOILER INCOMING: i can't remember which kid it was, but one of them dies and i didn't really care at all or apparently even remember the kid's name. maybe he was the one that sat on the top of the bookshelf? who's to say? i shouldn't need to say this, but killing off a member of a found family group in something that is supposed to be a dramatic and pivotal moment should elicit more emotion than just, "oh. that sucks."
all in all, this book reminds me far too much of legend by marie lu, which i think is the much better story when it comes to both worldbuilding and character work.
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Murder
suresorrythanks's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War and Body horror
Minor: Child death
danielforshort's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Minor: Body horror