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lizzie24601's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
velveteencactus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racial slurs
rainb0wreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Racism, Child abuse, Child death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape
bibliophilemama's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Rape, Animal death, and Racism
heartbrekker's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this novel immensely. The first sixty pages are intense and a tad complicated, but upon passing them, the novel was phenomenal.
There’s so much the reader questions throughout the reading process. It isn’t until those last hundred pages that everything comes to light and fruition, and as expected, the truth is very upsetting. The intrigue and mystery is hands down one of the best aspects of this novel because Setterfield is great at laying it out but not giving anything away. I was constantly wondering how certain storylines fit together, and I didn't expect it to weave together as seamlessly as it did. It was like magic, and yes, the pun is intended.
Also the novel is great at depicting loss, PTSD, and the complexity of family. I just want to hug everyone because the world is so cruel sometimes! Family is such an underrated aspect to novels, and this one truly had me feeling ever emotion known to mankind.
I adored the references and importance of the river. The whole time it was this powerful force that really just urges the plot forward where you realize it or not. I also thought the river may be drowned out throughout the course of the story by events happening but that was not the case at all. If anything the river becomes EVEN more imperative to the plot. It shows the importance of this river not only to these characters but to the city/ time period as well. I don't think we think about how incredible things like rivers are. We just go around soaking in their normalcy in our lives.
The setting (besides the river) also deserves praise because it felt like the Darwinian Age. Rita, a nurse, and Daunt, a photographer, are the symbols of technology and innovation throughout the story, and their contrast to the storyline was my favorite. Furthermore, their interactions left me squealing A LOT. Rita is such a solid feminist figure of the time, whether she believes herself to be one or not, and I found myself sitting up a little straighter whenever she worked her magic. Daunt too fascinated me with his passion for photography and helping people.
All in all, I recommend this story to people who tend to read adult novels. I say this because the plot and pacing is much slower than YA, so I feel YA readers will become bored very quickly. The mystery within this novel is also very unclear, and it takes lots of dissection to keep it straight. It’s a wonderful story, but it’s not for the faint of heart.
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism and Sexual violence
Depressionatamano'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? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Child death and Kidnapping
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Domestic abuse
lanskaya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Bullying
beholderess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicide
naye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
readingbetweenthenotes'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
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts