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lunarlibra's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
For some reason it took me a long time to really get into this book (like over 100 pages) but once I did, I could not put it down! (I think it's a me-problem, and for someone else the early chapters would have been immediately captivating.)
The character development, the mystery, and the increasingly heightened stakes of the book make this a truly compelling read. Also some parts are truly so funny I laughed out loud! That said, it is deeply tragic. I don't usually love tragedy, but something about how the characters handled it felt very real to me in a way that didn't leave me feeling hopeless.
I think Tamsyn Muir did something truly special with this book, her writing style is very visceral (no pun intended) in that I found myself deeply understanding the characters' emotions from her descriptions of things like time passing. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!!
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement, Colonisation, and Slavery
sabrina_marvil's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, Genocide, Gore, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Incest, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Cancer, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Colonisation, Self harm, Stalking, Trafficking, Torture, Medical content, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Blood, Body shaming, Vomit, War, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
Not in spacebeebidon's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child death, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, and Violence
Minor: Religious bigotry, Vomit, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, Colonisation, War, and Confinement
gussurireads'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'm no audiobook expert but this was the first one I ever listened to, having started out earlier this year. Since then, I've tried a handful more and still none compare (well, perhaps Rasha Zamamiri's narration of The Unbroken by C.L. Clark!)
Moira Quirk is an excellent narrator. She voiced each character so wonderfully, giving them all personalities beyond what was written in the text and, in the process, improving tenfold my enjoyment of this masterpiece.
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Violence, Murder, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Cannibalism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Slavery, Toxic friendship, Suicide, and Death of parent
gussurireads's review
- 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: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Slavery, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
pacifickat's review
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, Confinement, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
rufaroz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Graphic: Physical abuse
kodi_rae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think my one critique is that it moved so fast that the way the relationship between the two main characters fluctuates over time did not feel totally believable to me. But I will still read the other books in the series because it was so interesting and fun.
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Gore, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Cursing
amyteurhour's review against another edition
Even after getting through 3 hours of the audiobook, I was only 18% of the way through and could not see myself enjoying the next 13+ hours left. The beginning drops you into the story with little explanation or context, just that Gideon has been trapped in this prison/house her whole life and she is attempting her, what she hopes to be, final attempt at escape. She gets beaten and tricked into staying by the ruler of the house, Harrow, and then coerced into participating in a scheme with Harrow.
I ultimately stopped because I got the feeling that Gideon and Harrow would be the romantic arc that's mentioned in the synopsis, and honestly I'm not here for it. Harrow's treatment of Gideon is gross and cruel, and I just don't see myself rooting for/being satisfied with a storyline where they are in a relationship.
Stopped at Act 2 - Chapter 9 (3:04:15)
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Slavery
tobibi's review
- 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
4.0
favorite lines
"I want to go," said Gideon.
"This sounds impossibly vapid."
"I want to eat a dessert."" (p. 167)
"What?"
"You *did* bring a torch."
"This is a service I was unaware I was meant to provide," said Gideon. (p. 204)
Gideon said, "Did you know that if you put the first three letters of your last name with the first three letters of your first name, you get 'Sex Pal'?" (p. 274)
"How are you," said Camilla, who was a pill.
"I see you calling my bluff and I resent it," said Gideon... (p. 305)
He was peering at her through his spectacles. "Hey," she objected lamely, "I never said I hated myself."
"Evidence," he said, "outweighs testimony." (p. 336)
But then Corona started crying again, big tears leaking out of her eyes, her voice thick with misery and self-pity. "And who even cares about Babs? Babs! She could have taken *me*." (p. 394)
"Yes, you can, it's just less great and less hot," said Gideon." (p. 437)
Graphic: Terminal illness, Gore, Grief, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Murder, Classism, Death, Torture, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Slavery, and Abandonment