Scan barcode
bellagothh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
rdubs15'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
evelynyle_88'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, and Death of parent
ma10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Racism
ree_the_owlgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Grief, and Death of parent
lilly_anne'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Stalking
brookeisbusyreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Before We Disappear is more heavy in imagery than most books I’ve read lately and, while I can be a bit picky on the level of detail I like in my books, it worked WONDERS for this one! The descriptions of the attractions, illusions, and Wil’s ability were just so SATISFYING!
The fact that the book focuses on magicians and their tricks - and all the cunning thievery that could come with it - was already one of my main reasons for checking this book out. I wasn’t, however, expecting the setting to be in the beginning of the 1900s or have such a realistic cast of characters. The relationships, personalities, and complexity of each character felt so natural! I love characters whose flaws are front and center but I love openly flawed, tormented characters even more!
The found family and Now You See Me vibes are strong and I’m here for it! Wilhelm’s a freaking sweetheart who doesn’t deserve to be that traumatized! Jack is entertaining with his wit and skills, but also loyal and protective of those he loves. He and Wil make an amazing couple!
I also love how contradictive some of the antagonists are, displaying moments of humanity and sincerity. Evangeline was more morally grey, which made her moments at the ending feel like a grand finale. Teddy was just a despicable human being - as was George - and I won’t change my mind.
Overall, Before We Disappear was as magical as I hoped it would be and with enough twists and turns to keep me hooked…apparently for ~7 hours (Oops)!
Graphic: Emotional abuse
gemstonejasper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Was this book well written? No. Did it have good worldbuilding? No. Did I feel like I was in the early 1900s? No. Was it 100 pages too long? Yes. Could I predict the entire plot? Yes. But could I put it down? No.
I read this in three days (and it's around 500 pages). That's saying something because I have dyslexia and am a really slow reader. The story follows the love story of Jack and Wilhelm, the assistants to two rival magicians performing at the same fair in 1909. I personally think that's all you should go in knowing.
If I were a critic and rating this book solely on technical aspects, I would give it a 2.5-3 star rating. The writing is nothing special. It seemed like the characters repeated the same thing too many times. Therefore it could have probably been 100 pages shorter. I got immensely frustrated with every major character. It didn't even come close to making me feel like it took place in 1909 Seattle. I could predict the entire plot from a mile away (except for how exactly they defeated the villian).
That being said, I'm not a critic. I'm a general reader who picked up this book to be entertained. So I chose to rate it based on my enjoyment level. 4.5 stars. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but I really did enjoy this book and would read it again. I literally couldn't rip myself away. Maybe it was the two adorable queer romances. Maybe it was the magical feel of the world. Maybe I was genuinely terrified of the villian. Maybe I even grew attached to the two main characters and wanted to see them succeed.
There is one reason I'm not giving this a 5 star and that is because of a conscious choice the author made. The story takes place in 1909, meaning no person of color would have been treated as mildly as Ruth was treated by the white characters. There is also no way that the two queer couples (one of which is interracial) could have been out in the open without severe consequences. The author's note at the back of the book explains his reasoning behind this. He wanted to write a happy queer story. While I respect the decision he made, I also would not have chosen that direction myself. Because of this, I had a hard time immersing myself in the story. I had to take half a star for that decision.
2nd Reading Edit
I think I was too harsh in my first review. I don't think I was quite fair. During my first read-through, I read the physical book. It felt long and sluggish and like it was repeating things over and over. This time around, I listened to the audiobook and I think that's the way to go. The audio felt so much smoother and worked much better for me. That being said, the guy who voiced Wilhelm's chapters didn't feel right. He just didn't seem to match his personality. He was a good voice actor, just not quite right for Wilhelm in my opinion. The guy who read Jack's chapters matched pretty well
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
hannahs_library_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Emotional abuse
monniebiloney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the setting alot, and William and Jack were cute together. I loved how even though the "romance" was the main motivator for the main characters actions (it's because Jack liked William that he decided that he had to help William away from his' abusive "family", and it's because William was in love with Jack that he was willing to brave against his abusive "Father" ).
The best part of this book was definitely the climax,
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Lesbophobia