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garbutch's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Torture, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, Alcohol, Gun violence, Stalking, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Trafficking, Gun violence, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death, Child death, Slavery, Racism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Child abuse, and Murder
silly_little_clown'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
4.5
I love jack, wil, ruth and jessamy. I like their characterization and their growth towards the end of the book. It was really satisfying to see their relationships develop. The book is a bit open-ended(?) but I don’t really mind it since I think that fits the journey that they’re going to embark on more :D (however that doesn’t mean I would say no to a sequel or side story though haha)
Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Minor: Misogyny, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Stalking, Sexism, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment
capyval's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Perhaps it is important to check the trigger warnings before reading this book, although know that there's no homophobia included, which I agree with the author, was the correct choice for this story.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Misogyny
lilly_anne'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexism, and Cursing
Minor: Stalking and Vomit
freddybingsu'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Stalking, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Gun violence
robin_reads'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
4.5
The constant abuse of both protagonists was difficult to read at times, not gonna lie but still it was wonderful.
If I could wish for anything it would be two more pages, thanks
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
Found familytkhenry99's review against another edition
3.5
the story was fun and everything, but i felt like the characters relationships developed really fast for no reason. everyone jack meets he immediately becomes besties with? and he was supposed to have a familial bond with lucia and evangeline, but
i often thought the dialogue was weird and forced, like the author was trying too hard to be poetic.
the end also starts to drag, i found myself skimming a lot just to get to the end. the dual POV didn’t help
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexism, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Blood, Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Gun violence
johnnyharker'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent
cecilia895'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Blood, Hate crime, and Physical abuse
eleven_hummingbird's review against another edition
On digital storefronts, this book is marketed as "turn-of-the-nineteenth-cenury." This is inaccurate. The story starts in 1909, being rather the turn of the twentieth century. I hope the print copy did not fail to miss such an oversight. That digital marketplaces have not amended this mistake is, frankly, gross negligence.
Another complaint on the digital edition is the contents page. Rather than being listed in any sort of useful structure, the chapters are simply listed in an alternating crescendo of "Jack; Wilhelm; Jack; Wilhelm;" and so forth.
These were the first red flags, and we've not even started reading the book yet. Unfortunately, things do not improve.
The prose is nothing more than serviceable, and the dialogue is just disinteresting.
The historical setting is not utilized in any interesting nor creative way beyond aesthetics, and even these are not described in an engaging manner.
The narrative itself is not impressive either. Orphan narratives can be told well, but these boys are just abused and taken advantage of for little reason other than to make one feel sorry for them.
Wilhelm is physically and verbally abused. He is forced to wear a restraint, yet he apparently has the magical power to teleport at will. While the complexities of an abusive relationship might keep him from escaping for psychological reasons, it makes no sense for him to suffer the restraint. Further, it is not explained why Wilhelm feels he has to keep his talent a secret.
Unfortunately, the characters are just not likeable, rather leaning more towards insufferable. Jack is introduced as a calous heartbreaker. He is taken up under the Enchantress, who seems like a mysterious, intelligent, and daring lady, but on introduction is shown to be shallow, manipulative, and mean. Wilhelm does not have much to say, nor think. His abuser, meanwhile, is described as "plain, forgettable even." The cast expands early on with the introduction of Ruth. She is pleasant enough, but is sexualized and plagued by white-saviorism.
I hope this book gets better, but these are my impressions fifteen-percent through, and I am not inclined to continue further.
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Racism