Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

19 reviews

mysteryspouse's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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


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demented_delights9448's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

This book is not at all what I was expecting. It's so much better! No matter your ethnic heritage or skin color, you will find a character that resonates with you. This book oozes female empowerment. It tackles every religion, cult, and political structure that has ever blamed women for simply being women. It calls out the oppression that women face on the daily, encourages women to be themselves, and gives credence to our struggles, voices, bodies, and dreams. This is the book to have your teenaged daughters read. 

It has a decent pace, plenty of mystery that resolves, endearing characters, action, witty dialogue, and thoughtful exposition on top of believable world building. It can be a little dark emotionally, tackles very difficult topics, but is hopeful. At no point does this book blame all men as being oppressive. This is a book about equality for all: all genders, all faiths, all ages, all races, all sexualities. Romance is there but it's very low-key and it speaks encouragingly of all walks: from lesbianism to maintaining virginity to young men who don't want to hump every female thing in sight. 

It's a beautiful story set in a beautiful world with beautiful women and men battling it out against pure, unadulterated evil. There's even a dragon. What's not to like?

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yomireads's review

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adventurous dark emotional 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? No

3.75

Deka is a compelling and emotionally rich protagonist, and following her evolution from meek, religiously traumatized girl, to powerful warrior inacting change is very rewarding. There are a few instances where time lapses by and the character growth isn't shown on the page, so sometimes the shift in personality feels a little unearned, but never to the point of unreality. I do wish the internal conflict and empowerment of escaping toxic self-hatred and purity-culture (literally in this case) was better represented. Nonetheless, Deka's growth makes for a gripping story. 

The plot itself initially presents itself as a generic: "kill the evil monsters and become heros" archetype, but takes the questions a critical reader might take issue with, and makes it the key component to this compelling narrative. It does present as a little frustrating to have these questions that feel almost like plot-holes (don't worry, they're not) and have the protagonist lagging behind the reader as what feels like blatantly obvious suppression of truth. Truly, the reveal by the end shouldn't have taken so long to uncover.

There are a few things I could nit pick about, but I'm holding out hope that much of my feeling of unresolved or unconfronted problems in the narrative will be addressed in the sequel. 

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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0


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gotem's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • 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

3.75

Get past the first 100ish pages, and its a riveting book about found family, the exposure of intense indoctrination, and magical girl powers all wrapped in one.

Unsettlingly gory at parts, and strikingly vague in others. This would work well for someone who reads with a heavy focus on action and dialogue. Please do mind the trigger warnings.

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martereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5


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nomackenzie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

Enjoyable ready that has me wanting to move right onto the sequel! The friendships are so well developed - I kinda wish the romance element had the same level of development, though. I also felt something was missing from Deka's character. She just needed a little more bite or humour or something to make her more lovable - the side characters definitely outshone her.

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yulecogs's review

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2.25


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captainoliimar's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

4.75


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chellcake's review

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adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious 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

4.5


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