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thursdd4y's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Child death, Classism, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Police brutality, Vomit, Grief, Incest, Cursing, Sexual assault, Abortion, Alcohol, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Body shaming, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Pregnancy, Confinement, Suicide, Colonisation, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Torture, and Violence
raquelmozart_123'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Murder, Abandonment, Stalking, Rape, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Sexism, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Excrement, Alcoholism, War, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Child death, Classism, Chronic illness, Gore, Confinement, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Incest, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, Child abuse, Misogyny, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Body shaming
thechroniclesofsiania's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Excrement, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Rape, and War
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Child death, Suicide, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gun violence, Incest, and Infidelity
joygarcialim's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Rape, Racism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Abortion, Cursing, Genocide, Mental illness, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Slavery, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Incest, Sexual assault, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Grief, Police brutality, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
hannahleewhite'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
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Miscarriage, Torture, Suicide, Abortion, and Incest
caldridge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Abortion, War, Death, Vomit, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, and Infidelity
acecatlady's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Not for the faint of heart. It is a fantastically raw magical realism take on colonialist and post-colonialist violence. On the horrors of humanity. But it can also be flippant and funny. A lot of very time-specific stuff and culturally specific stuff that if you've spent time in SE Asia are interesting to read like this.
I think people really focus on the male/female aspect of this, and I get that, totally. Sexual assault and rape and love or desire as a sickness are a big part of it, but you really can't ignore the colonialism inherent in the story. It at the very foundation of the curse.
Honestly, a lot of modern western horror WISH it went this hard. If you have triggers? Make sure to check the content warnings cuz this book has all of them.
Graphic: Suicide, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, War, Abortion, Confinement, Genocide, Incest, and Rape
dyas's review against another edition
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Abortion, and Kidnapping
brusboks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
There are a lot of content warnings for this book. And at times the amount of rape is at times so overwhelming and tiresome that the only thing you can do is just take a physical break from the book.
However, this is also a central point of the book, as well as providing the reader with a feeling of neusea at times. This is the story of how Indonesia was raped, time and time again.
Through the good use of Indonesian folklore as well as Indonesian history the story takes us through the most formative decades in contemporary Indonesian history. And it shows brutally, through the rape, incest and violence towards a family across generations how Indonesia, for all it's beauty, has time and time again been fucked over by other colonizing and conquering nations and states. But also how it has fought back, at times in really cunning ways.
A neccessary counterpoint to this is the use of dark humour and fairytales. Every chapter in itself could be read as a seperate modern fairytale, but is also an epic story of a family across generations. The author is a brilliant storyteller.
If you can stomach it, it is highly recommended. But be prepared for what lies ahead. Beauty is a wound.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Rape, Stalking, Suicide, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence
readerinthedale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Suicide, Incest, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, War, Colonisation, and Rape
Minor: Abortion, Miscarriage, Excrement, and Infidelity