Scan barcode
mothlord's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
squinnittowinit'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? Yes
4.75
I thought this book did a very good job of immersing the reader in the very real misogyny that Wu Zetian experiences at every turn, but also not wallowing in those feelings. Instead, Zetian fights against the system at every turn and the reader can celebrate with her when she succeeds. Gao Yizhi and Li Shimin are great supporting characters as well, full of their own depth, but without taking away from Zetian's character in any way.
I especially loved how unapologetically bloodthirsty Wu Zetian was, so often the "dangerous woman" main character ends up just being misunderstood, or becomes tamed by love or something, which is just weak character development. Wu Zetian is a dangerous woman, and that never changes.
4.75 stars because some of the most dramatic dialogue moments were just a little too silly for my liking.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
alyssadorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Everything from Zetian’s backstory to her goals and relationships, her values and realizations, all growing and changing along with her (and our) knowledge of the world as a whole— So. Well. Done. I’m obsessed with her, as well as Lizhi and Shimin. I love that they’re all together and not just each with her separately or any bs like that.
And that ending! And the epilogue!! Every minute of this book was a thrill, and the writing style was so refreshing with its use of juxtaposition to bring Zetian’s sardonic humor to life in a way that made me laugh quite a bit, and I found myself using tabs what felt like every other page to mark intense imagery or pithy statements that drill straight into the heart of poignant truths (usually about gender roles and subjugation stated in a way I still can’t get out of my mind).
For example, the author will pair a list of seemingly smaller domestic moments with a bigger, life-or-death situation in a way that shows the realities of daily life in this world and its cyclical injustices— and how the daily life is not seeing those injustices.
“My mother’s mist-frail voice emerges, trying to calm him down. My brother is laughing. My grandfather has turned the livestream to peak volume. A girl is dying in a Chrysalis in the name of mankind.”
Some moments of that pithy, sardonic wit I loved:
“How am I supposed to sign up for my death if my eyebrows are uneven?”
“I don’t pity you, you dork. I cherish you.”
Or even just the chapter titles, like “the supposed pinnacle of female existence” or “a butterfly that better not be my dead sister”
I will say, the description of the foot binding in the beginning is one of the few moments in any book that have actually made me sick to my stomach, so go gently. Also the way addiction is handled in this book is somewhat problematic.
The pacing and writing style are both phenomenal!
Graphic: Addiction, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual violence and Colonisation
iane_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Genocide, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Deportation
elgrell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
bold_badger'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Vomit
Minor: Gaslighting
justmys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Everything happens so fast and so easily (???) that it just felt...like watching a movie adaptation of a novel?
I didn't like the main character. I wanted to.
If there's another book set in the same world I'll read it. It's an easy read and a decent idea for a story. I just hope we get to delve further in and read a novel instead of watching the YA movie version.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
Moderate: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
arxchiell'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: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
moonchild_cos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, War, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
lisacanteven'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
I’ve heard the comparison of The Hunger Games meets Pacific Rim, and I guess that is an okay observation. But this book is so much more than those stories. The amount I learned about Chinese history and culture made it more alone.
But then when you get into the queerness of it all, you realize just how valuable this book is for young (and old) readers everywhere. The queer rep is sweet and lovely. It’s a rough, hard, sharp story with a very soft, sweet queer love story at its core. This juxtaposition exists within the characters too.
This story felt like the most real story I have ever read. Zetian, the MC, thinks and acts in a way I have always craved to see in a character. I felt every word written about Zetian. I felt every emotion @xiranjayzhao created for Zetian.
Zetian, Shimin, and Yizhi are the three characters I want to have dinner…and dessert with. I have never felt more connected to three characters. This is why representation of all kinds is so fucking important, and I will never stop fighting and expecting it.
tl;dr- This is a story about a badass woman and the two men backing her up as she takes down the patriarchy in a society yet to come.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Classism