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solenekeleroux'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: War, Colonisation, Confinement, Blood, Murder, Slavery, Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Torture
vivavia'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Medical trauma, Murder, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Bullying, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Slavery
ashatroyal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: War, Colonisation, Torture, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual harassment
fclancy93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Of friends and of faith
Or of watching it all fall
Graphic: Colonisation and Death
Moderate: War, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Blood, Animal death, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit
choicepotatoes_old's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story is extremely plot-driven, however, and so every now and then the characters will do or say something that feels (sometimes wildly) out of character for the purpose of furthering the plot.
The most frustrating example of this is
Touraine is repeatedly shown to be loyal to a fault. Every decision she makes ties back to her desire to protect her fellow conscripts, who she considers to be her family. Additionally, in the first few chapters of the story, we learn she's been in a years'-long romantic relationship with Pruett, whom she considers to be one of her two closes friends.
Given all of the above, it makes literally zero sense that she develops a giant schoolgirl crush almost immediately after becoming her assistant.
Not only did I have trouble believing Touraine's relationship with Pruett could be thrown aside so easily, the power dynamics between Luca and Touraine make any romance between them extremely problematic and--because Luca's feelings are reciprocated by Touraine in a way that feels reminiscent of a lighthearted romance--I don't think that's successfully addressed in the book.
Personally, I feel like the romance sublot would have worked better if it had been one-sided. Luca--who we're told has a history of taking relatively temporary lovers of all genders--could grow infatuated with Touraine, the one "thing" she can own, but can't *have*.
All of the decisions Luca makes regarding Touraine could stay exactly the same, but she would need to experience extreme character growth--potentially over the course of multiple books--and Pruett would need to be completely out of the romance picture before Touraine might start to have feelings for her.
Another unfortunate consequence of the novel being plot-driven is my inability as a reader to connect with any of the minor characters.
All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed the worldbuilding and the plot. Clark did an excellent job depicting the impact of colonialism on a colonized country, and the politics Luca navigates as future queen of the colonizing country are fascinating.
---
3.75 - the parts that were done well were done really *really* well, but there was at least one major issue that negatively impacted my enjoyment of the book
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: Racism
professor_jango'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, War, Racism, Xenophobia, Classism, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
alexalily'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: Classism, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Gore, Police brutality, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Torture, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Excrement, Self harm, Vomit, Cursing, and Child abuse
kaschaller'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: War, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, and Chronic illness
Minor: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexual violence
kyladenae94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Torture, Gun violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault, War, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
leaflit'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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Blood, Racism, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Colonisation, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Genocide, Medical content, Outing, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness