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alicialexandr_a's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I don’t think a single female character in the novel wasn’t sexualized, assaulted, or called a whore. The book was slow and at some points dragged. While the writing was beautiful, at some points if felt pretentious and convoluted. The last 200 pages of the book were fantastic, but I don’t know if I’d go through the other 600 to get to it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, War, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Death
narsere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Rape, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Rape
Minor: Death of parent
laurenleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I feel a little sad that this series is over for me now, but I also think Zafón did a terrific job of tying up all loose ends. The Shadow of the Wind will always be my favorite, but I think this is a close second! As usual, Zafón blends together dark gothic intrigue with a little romance and political commentary, but in this novel, he adds some police procedural. I loved the combo! Alicia Gris was a fantastic character that kept me engaged. I love her, but I also questioned her choices throughout. I think that’s a good sign of a multi-faceted realistic character. The book’s pacing kept things exciting, and the plot certainly kept me guessing. I know I will return to this and the other books in its world, and I’ll love the reminder of our Barcelona trip.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Confinement
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Torture, Death of parent, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
lilyadams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
An incredible end to one of my favourite series of books ever. I'm honestly gutted to have finished this book series. 800 pages of brilliant storytelling and I can't wait to reread the whole thing. The pacing was perfect and I didn't feel bored at any point. It really wraps up every characters plots completely and thats a very satisfying (but rare!!) way to end a series of books.
The only reason I took away a star is that some of zafon's female characters feel a bit 2D. All the women are femme fatales and largely unrealistic. The other reason is the brief marital rape scene. It comes fairly near the end and is only a few paragraphs long and is stopped before its started but it still took me by surprise and made me feel quite uncomfortable. Whilst i understand that COFB is quite grim as a whole, I'm of the opinion that detailed sexual assault scenes really aren't at all needed and this one was so random and upsetting that I feel it was completely unnecessary to the point where it made a 5 star book less than that.
The only reason I took away a star is that some of zafon's female characters feel a bit 2D. All the women are femme fatales and largely unrealistic. The other reason is the brief marital rape scene. It comes fairly near the end and is only a few paragraphs long and is stopped before its started but it still took me by surprise and made me feel quite uncomfortable. Whilst i understand that COFB is quite grim as a whole, I'm of the opinion that detailed sexual assault scenes really aren't at all needed and this one was so random and upsetting that I feel it was completely unnecessary to the point where it made a 5 star book less than that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
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