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jasperw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"To those versions of me, who were growing and searching and scared and brave: Thank you."
This line really sums up what I love about this book, and what (now in reflection) I can appreciate as having been there from the beginning: Ivy is a troubled person, just like we all are. She is trying her best to navigate the world around her, while she has deep scars that she carries. She has issues and she's trying to protect herself in a destructive way. She's a relatable main character, and she tells you these issues from the get go. Her character and the development is one of the big reasons I love this book. Maybe it's the timing, what's going on in my own life, but I truly think so many people can relate to Ivy.
The magic system and the mystery element were interesting. I did find that the investigating part dragged a little in the middle, and there were a couple elements not fully explored
I LOVED the ending. It's what really sold me on rating this book so highly. It was perfect.
Graphic: Death of parent, Abortion, Cancer, and Gore
petrimagyk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Terminal illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, and Body horror
fraeyalise'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
1.5
It is well written, and the characters feel like real people. The world feels like it's real. The mystery is compelling.
However, it felt me feeling very gross at the end, like I need to take a shower.
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gore, Grief, Alcohol, and Medical trauma
lipstickitotheman'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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Eating disorder, and Bullying
aweso10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Murder, Death, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
arthur_ant18'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
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, and Abortion
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
Minor: Eating disorder
joepyeweed'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Medical trauma, Abortion, Body horror, Cancer, Murder, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Sexual harassment and Self harm
philomathean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Abortion, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Pregnancy and Toxic friendship
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The narration in this book as brilliantly delivered. The main character is jaded and sardonic, and is a lonely woman with a tendencies toward takeout food and alcoholism. Xe Sands narrates the character expressively and playfully, especially the parts where the characters are getting more and more inebriated. An interesting narrator; I might see if I can find other titles read by her.
As far as genre goes, the story is magic-school meets murder mystery, and a romantic twist, with the emphasis mostly on the crime solving stuff. As a result it slid off me a bit, because murder mystery things aren't really my preferred genre. I did like that there was diversity in the story. There were characters of different ages, and there were several queer (gay and pansexual) characters in this story, but the main character is a woman trysting with a man. Although the characters are ethnically diverse, their ethnicity is not focused on at all in the story.
The thing that probably drove me most to distraction was the slow pace. I generally love stories that dwell on the building of relationships between the characters, but the main theme of this book was the impossibility of being able to really bond with others if you aren't prepared to be honest with them, so the relationship building aspect felt shallow and unrewarding.
On a personal note, this book does deal with the aftermath of losing a mother to cancer. It probably says a lot about how much I have grieved and coped and healed that I didn't find this subject matter really upsetting, but rather, I felt like it represented real-life everyday tragedy and the failure of a family to cope because they couldn't share their feelings openly, and support each other in their loss.
Graphic: Violence, Pregnancy, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
meagand'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
3.0
Graphic: Murder and Medical trauma
Moderate: Alcoholism and Abortion
Minor: Pregnancy