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midnightgremlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Slavery
Minor: War, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Genocide
mossgoblins'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
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Excrement, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Murder, and Forced institutionalization
errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual violence, Body horror, Genocide, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
mrsmowrey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Sexual content, and Child death
Moderate: Genocide, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism
Definitely one of the best books I have read in years.bwwilhelm'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, Animal death, and Ableism
Minor: Blood
beccaand'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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, and Genocide
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, Death, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Classism, Genocide, Pregnancy, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, and Vomit
Moderate: War, Torture, and Sexual content
maeverose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I think this book is incredibly creative and original, and has important commentary on race and colonialism, told through a fantasy lens. I didn’t end up enjoying the book, so this review is mostly negative, but I’d still recommend the book if you can handle the content and can look past the transphobia.
First, I think if you’re going to include something as sensitive as sexual assault and rape, especially happening to children, it needs to have an important reason to be there. In this book I felt that those things in particular were there mostly for shock value. It really wasn’t necessary to take it as far as she did, and it bothered me.
Second, the way the trans character Tonkee is represented I found to be offensive. Not only is she frequently described as being smelly and unclean when no one else is, leading me to believe N.K Jemisin sees trans women as gross, but there’s also this line in a scene when she’s taking a bath in front of Essun (I don’t really understand why she did that in the first place but ok):
“You’re a little surprised to see a penis somewhere amid this process, but, well, not like any comm’s going to make her a Breeder.”
I could be misunderstanding, but the only reasons I can think of for why she would’ve included that comment would be to say that trans people are undesirable, or to point out that Tonkee can’t get pregnant, ‘but no matter, because she’s too ugly to be made a breeder anyway’. Either way, both of those statements are offensive and have nothing to do with what’s happening in the scene. Why would Essun’s mind immediately go to thinking about her undesirability or inability to get pregnant after finding out she’s trans? That felt transphobic to me. Also the fact that the two trans characters in the book (one isn’t even named) are introduced as being trans by describing their genitals, which perpetuates the idea that thinking about/asking what’s in a trans person’s pants is okay... it’s none of your business and it’s irrelevant to their gender identity. I really don’t understand the people praising this book for having trans characters… Tonkee isn’t even a main or important character hardly, and Essun seems to see her as an annoyance the entire time.
I don’t know if the offensive way Tonkee was represented was intentional or not, but it really doesn’t sit well with me and kind of ruined my experience of the book, which sucks because it is a really good story besides that.
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Hate crime, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Slavery, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
atlas_shruggs'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
The story follows three people: Damaya, a girl with great gifts that the world hates her for; Syenite, a powerful student who wants nothing more than to prove her worth; and Essun, a mother looking for revenge.
Knowing nothing about this book is the best way to go into it. I only knew that it had good representation and was well written, so I suggested it for my book club, and boy was it amazing.
It is masterfully written, the story ties together in such a gorgeous way, and even though it's confusing at first, the payoff at the end is more than worth pushing through this confusion.
Immediately after finishing it I had to go back and read the prologue, and it was so satisfying.
This review is all over the place, but just read this book okay??
Oh and check trigger warnings, for the love of god.
Graphic: Body horror, Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Transphobia, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
kieran_c's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
5.0
Honestly, this wouldn’t have been the kind of plot I expected to become enthralled by. I’m simple, and like basic happy ever afters. And this is dark, incredibly so. But, you are as gently eased into the level of darkness as is possible, in my opinion, and this dark stuff is what makes you connect so strongly with the story. The characters aren’t naturally loveable, due to their demeanours and actions, but I don’t think they are supposed to be. You see their faults, but connect so strongly with them and understand why they’re there.
I couldn’t recommend the book more highly
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Genocide, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Child death and Bullying