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emily_mh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Rep: gay Jewish MC, gay Jewish LI, Jewish SCs
Graphic: Death, Murder, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Child abuse, Classism, Genocide, Excrement, Grief, Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Torture, Vomit, Drug use, Sexism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Medical content, Abandonment, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Ableism
Major: five uses of the antisemitic k-slur Moderate: missing loved one, separation from family, illness, theft, internalised homophobia Minor: drowning, fainting, gambling, blackmail, divorce, police corruption, imprisonment, capital punishment, gentrificationtangleroot_eli's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Death, Violence, Antisemitism, Body horror, Murder, Gore, Pedophilia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Racial slurs, Classism, Animal death, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Rape
Minor: Body shaming
spookily's review
- 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: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Violence, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Classism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Excrement, Misogyny, and Police brutality
novella42's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Homophobia, Child death, Hate crime, Grief, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Antisemitism, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual violence
leahkarge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Child death, Blood, Classism, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
thecriticalreader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
If you are anything like me and do not recognize the many Yiddish words and phrases used in this book, the glossary is at the back of the book!
Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Alcohol, Child death, Misogyny, Gun violence, Genocide, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, and Forced institutionalization
ezwolf's review
- 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
One of the things I think this book does so well is mix real historical settings along with Jewish mythology. It also delves into (one of) the ways death is treated in Jewish culture. The antisemitism that Alter experiences and danger of being visibly Jewish is something that can be related to even now.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for queer Jewish representation!
Also I greatly appreciate that Aden Polydoros posts content warnings on his website for each of his books. I've copied a link to the ones specifically for this book below.
https://adenpolydoros.com/the-city-beautiful
Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Child death, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Rape
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, and Death of parent
lanid's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Antisemitism and Body horror
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Racism, Rape, and Religious bigotry
moonytoast's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Antisemitism, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, and Pedophilia
Minor: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail
paracosim's review
- 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
Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Xenophobia, Violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol