Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges

6 reviews

moonyreadsbystarlight's review

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adventurous
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Parts of this I really liked, other parts I had mixed feelings about. It had a neat adventure in a portal fantasy and I like how it approached the MC's gender and gender journey. I also liked some of the side characters.

However, I wasn't too sure about parts of the story including the resolution.
it's not super surprising that a middle grade would choose to go in the direction of loving someone instead of fighting. Could have been more nuance to that end of things or explanation, but it is a short volume. While I get where it was going with the boys in this, I don't think parts were clear enough, so I get why some people may be confused about parts of the messaging. It tried to spin it as the boys weren't all bad, but it wasn't super clear on that and we didnt get a strong resolution around it.
I am also curious to see how Black readers responded to this. I found it weird that the only Black character in the book was characterized as angry/grumpy, while the others in the friend group had very friendly dispositions. 

I really wanted to like it more. Parts of it were really endearing, but it had its issues and was a bit rushed. 
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ollieez's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.75

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unluckycat13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

A very cute and positive kids comic about accepting loss and coming out as transgender. It has a character who came out as nonbinary too who breaks a lot of stereotypes, which I also thought was nice. The motif of grieving a lost parent works well I think, since it can double as accepting leaving your old life behind, and sometimes losing family from coming out. The book also managed to display the difficulties one might have coming out without diving into transphobia, while still acknowledging the emotional hardship that can come from it. 

The art was so-so, but it got the job done. 
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wynterwonderland's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted 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? Yes

3.0

While I wish some of the world building would have been a bit stronger, this was a delight. The characters are really what make this story. They have such a great journey, and I think this could benefit with more volumes! It would help to flesh out the world a little more.
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benediction's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

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