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alsoapples'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
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Outing, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism
mercapto'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
But I wish the blurb had made the focus Katrina! It reads like Lan and her donuts broke the curse when it was Katrina being her wonderful self that made Shizuka change!
Aoki is wonderfully imaginative, and obviously has many stories to tell - I can tell that she wanted to pour everything into this book. I get it, a book crossing deals with demons with an intergalactic family and the story of a trans girl finding herself is very unique, is going to stand out more than individual books in each genre. But… I can’t help but think I’d rather have read a separate book for each theme. Or even just demons deals and the Katrina storyline. Or even just a longer book! A series that blends together in one final novel!
Katrina’s narrative is so much more in depth than the other two main characters, and it’s clear that writing what you know works well for Aoki - even without looking her up I could tell that whoever was writing Katrina had real experience either being trans or was heavily involved in the trans community, and the way she writes these scenes, so matter-of-fact, so real, is where her ability shines through - “The violin had given Katrina a voice with which to sing. And now, that newfound voice was pushing her, urging Katrina to speak.”
It’s not that she doesn’t write Shizuka or Lan well, it’s just that there’s not enough pages to flesh them out properly - they are big concepts and backstories that need a bit more handholding to understand than Katrina, who’s backstory, sadly, we are all familiar with in today’s reality. And so effective is her writing of Katrina, that no matter how well Shizuka and Lan are written, they will pale in comparison to her. I felt I really knew Katrina, but Lan and Shizuka? I just didn’t feel the connection to each other, unfortunately.
Unlike others, I don’t mind the changes in POV, I feel like with a book like this you need it to understand the complex world. It actually reminded me a bit of Les Mis, in a way, because there’s so much going on and so many characters you need to see into their heads. Of course, it’s a lot choppier in this novel, but I still think it’s fine. I also liked the food descriptions, in think they worked well and were quite immersive, and actually made me want to go out and appreciate all the hidden little eateries with hidden stories where I live!
This was an enjoyable read, and had a lot to offer. There’s a lot of in depth analogies and metaphors, and I think a very thought-provoking book.
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Rape, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Physical abuse
corriespondent'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
Katrina is a trans teenager who runs away from an abusive father with just a few possessions, including her violin. She crosses paths with Shizuka Satomi, a violin teacher who (unbeknownst to her) has made a deal with the devil to deliver seven souls in order to save her own. Ms. Satomi has delivered six brilliant violin students already — and Katrina is in the crosshairs to be the seventh. But then — add queer alien-human romance! Alien technology crossed with donuts! Cursed violins! And a poignant picture of a trans girl trying to find herself and her voice, while holding all of the ugly voices from her past in her head.
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content
torilaird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Representation: trans
Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Sexual assault
subtlyfurious's review
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Outing, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Deadnaming, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, and Homophobia
cjwitch'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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse and Transphobia
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
jessamo19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Self harm
wrenl'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
3.75
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Self harm, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Murder
jmermelstein14'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
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
siriface's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Child abuse, Deadnaming, and Death