Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

5 reviews

inkwellimps's review

adventurous mysterious 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

Read this book after Sacha Lamb suggested it in a podcast, and it filled the hole in my heart left from finishing When the Angels Left the Old Country. A lot of similarities with that book, quite a few differences, but just as good with a similar feel.

The characters are standout and very engaging. Alter, the man haunted by his past and the death that follows him trying to make an honest living. Frankie, the smug and confident leader of a Robin Hood-style lovable thieves gang. Raizel, the staunch anarchist (historical anarchists yay!) and investigative journalist.

Very much a book about labor rights and the competing ideologies between the three characters. Alter trying to work with the status quo, Raizel looking for labor reform, and Frankie gaming the system. Very queer book from beginning to end. A lot can also be said about how we hold on to grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Terminal illness

Possession is a major theme of this book. The lead character prepares bodies for burials and that process is described several times. The "panic attacks" I tagged include detailed hallucinations. The adult/minor relationship is in a character's backstory and not portrayed as an okay thing by the text (thankfully).

novella42's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

clovelatte's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

Damn. This book dealt with so much pain and violence but the characters are wonderful and I was tense the entire time hoping they would make it through. You absolutely MUST check the content warnings. Things are rough. But also so good. Love these boys. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

anniereads221's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Violence, Antisemitism, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury

kayladaila's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I received an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. The City Beautiful is a Jewish, gay, YA horror mystery set around the Chicago World’s Fair. It was a bit of a slow novel at the beginning, but did eventually pick up speed. All of the characters were well developed and came from different but historically accurate perspectives. I’m personally not a fan of horror, so parts of this were a bit much for me, but that doesn’t make it any less of a great read. The Jewish representation was phenomenal and I hope it comes across well to nonJewish readers. My favorite thing about this book is that it was able to be a gay historical romance with absolutely no homophobia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Rape

Minor: Physical abuse