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sketchy_reader's review against another edition
5.0
I waited so long to start this series, and it definitely lives up to the hype so far.
materialistgirrl's review against another edition
4.0
a little techno-orientalist but i have fond memories of it from high school
izih1234's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
the_rolypoly_man's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Genocide, Ableism, Child abuse, and Death of parent
aroseemanuel's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating premise, but what held me back were how underdeveloped the characters were. The most difficult for me were the villains. They felt flat and almost like caricatures; there were no complexities or even clear explanation of why they are the way they are. It just pulled me out of the story
danycatreader's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Yet, this book isn't perfect. The way the nations are built clearly speaks of colonialism, and especially the American brand; it was written before widespread awareness of cultural appropriation and it shows because a kimono is not the only luxury clothing one can wear in all of Asia. The way science is constructed is also very flimsy: how come it is justified that cyborgs are lesser humans? The narrative never explains why a tragedy might make them lesser humans, but it was crucial to make Cinder irrationally hated by her stepmother. How come Lunars can transmit the letumosis disease but not have it? How can bioelectricity truly work? And why would the prince bump into Cinder so frequently?
But somehow, these are issues that are not truly important, for the plot is clever, the characters are full of life, and the world is as believable as it can be, for the story's sake.
bookworm_with_a_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75