Reviews with content warning for Religious bigotry - Die Gesetzlose

Yeah.... this just isn’t the action packed queer adventure everyone is screaming about. The characters are ambiguously queer until more than half way through. It’s not bold. It’s not some new feminist manifesto. Just another white feminist book leaving out so many people. It was okay.

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francestea's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Enjoyable quick read. I liked the western setting it’s not something I read much of and I liked the themes of midwifery- wish there was more of that. I wish we could have spent more time with each character, they ran together for me.

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perstephone's review against another edition

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adventurous sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

"Knowledge can be very valuable...but only if people want it."

I give Outlawed
🌟🌟🌟✨ 3.5/5 (rounded up)

⚠️TW: abortion, miscarrying, and mainly infertility are constant themes and subject matters throughout this story as a whole. If those are sensitive subjects for you or are just things you'd rather not read, this may not be the book for you.

I give 3.5/5 because while the story is an original one, that takes inspiration from history and makes it its own; I was left at the end with loose ends unfinished.
🌻🌻🌻

- Not a particularly long story, 12 chapters total, but still full of action, adventure, and steady pacing that gives course of events a natural feel.

- This is not your typical western, nor is it a factual account of the Hole in the Wall Gang. It is inspiration, and other than some names of characters, the similarities pretty much stop there.

- Women posse, women posse, women posse!!! 😎

- year 1894-95, LGBTQA+ representation.

- women taking control of their own bodies, their own fates, proving that they are just as capable as anyone else in an era that only saw women as "good for" maybe a handful of things.

- Felt a little lacking in POC representation if I'm being honest.

- Interactions between characters and the society as a whole felt genuine and on par for how things were done or viewed, especially regarding women, and what they were valued for.

- A bit melancholy of an ending, but a suitable one all things considered.

There are enough loose ends that I still want answers for, and some things plain left unfinished, but this story is still really original and worth a gander.

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haseki_sultana's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

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? No

4.5

This book is a pretty quick read, with engaging descriptions and an interesting plot. The plot focuses almost fully on the main character; she goes through the most growth and the most focus is placed on her. The side characters get some focus which helps to explain their personalities and make them distinct, but there is no growth for them - they remain static in the narrative (which is absolutely fine; it suits the story being told - these are not the type of people to change much anyway).

As for the plot, it takes place in an alternate reality from 1894-1895, where religion has put an even greater emphasis on women having children and being domestic - in this reality, people are so obsessed with children that there are many holidays concerning pregnancy and childbirth, Jesus is depicted as a baby, and women are routinely executed for not conceiving. The story follows Ada, a year into her marriage, when she and the people of her town realize that she is infertile. They run her out of the town and she has to find her own way in the world, at some point joining an all-female (but various gendered) outlaw gang. There's more to Ada's story and what drives her, but that's all spoilers.

I would have given this book five stars, except sometimes there were passages about events that went by rather swiftly, leaving the reader wanting more. For the most part, the fast-paced writing style of North works really well, but I personally felt that certain scenes needed to be lingered on yet were instead passed over in mere sentences.

Also, I feel it is worth mentioning: there are a number of LGBT characters; they are all treated with respect and handled well. However, one side character is killed off and technically counts as Bury Your Gays. For anyone who dislikes this trope, be aware that you'll come across it in this book.

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laurenparham's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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forestthieves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

Cannot stop thinking about this book. It's been a while since I read a book with, what I felt, was accurate representation of a queer cast of characters, as well as an exploration on feminism and oppression. I fell in love with Ada, and her stoic and practical point of view, while also getting those break of emotions from her. I was fully invested in her story, needing to know what every day held for her, and the gang.

I can see myself reading this book again in the future. I will always hold all of the characters in it dear to my heart. It was a challenging, but realistic, and exciting adventure. Would recommend this to anyone.

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kirbybeaton's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful 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

4.0

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