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fauxlibrarian's review against another edition
Very disappointingly racist. Product of its time I guess but still felt unfinishable.
Graphic: Sexism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Racism
spaghettibooplesnoot's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Misogyny
probably one of the most racist books I've ever read. the descriptions of all the "bad" people is that they have big hooked noses. the accents in the audiobook are like something out of an old film. i listened to it while really ill and was too tired to downloada another book but needed to listen to something and i feel dirty for listening to it.turtleghost's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Cute, funny and romantic follow-up to Howl's Moving Castle
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Xenophobia
nonnayurbiz's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
Minor: Confinement
pocketspoon's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
The author clearly had fun turning arabian-nights-like tales on their heads a bit, and it is definitely fun and clever in some ways. However, there is a lot here that is really problematic, not least of all the general and persistent misogyny of the main character. I'm afraid that learning to love one smart, capable woman doesn't make him not sexist. In the very last pages he is giving away his (previously extensively fat-shamed) relatives as chattel to the villain. But it's okay, because he's handsome and actually wants them because they're not uncooperative like the kidnapped princesses, so they're into it?!
I also find it annoying that the Howl's Moving Castle characters all have babies in this book, as if that's the only possible progression of a young woman's life/story. You could explain some of this away as "satire, not endorsement" but this is a kids' book, and kids don't get sattire; they're going to see women being constantly compared to each other (and generally criticized and found wanting) by the male protagonist, who is pretty unlikeable and shitty, but is still somehow the hero of the story. He rides in and attaches himself to the escape plan the princesses were already working on, and then one of them has to agree to marry a slimeball just so he won't eat them out, and the men get all the credit for the rescue. And a bunch of other toxic stuff.
I also find it annoying that the Howl's Moving Castle characters all have babies in this book, as if that's the only possible progression of a young woman's life/story.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Confinement, Sexism, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and War
aeris7's review against another edition
Moderate: Fatphobia, Xenophobia, and Racism
idlg34713's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Just as I said with The House of Many Ways, The Castle in the Air has a cast of mostly unlikeable characters, the book is mostly fluff, two thirds of which can be cut and the book would still make sense and that doesn't even account for the healthy dosage of orientalism in this work.
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia
probablyelissa's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
After finishing Howl's Moving Castle I immediately ordered the remaining books in the series. While I was never under the impression that this book was about the original characters wholly, it seemed to really drag on before they were included. I had such difficulty getting into the story at some point I flipped through the pages until I saw their names and marked it. If I hadn't done this I don't think I ever whould have finished it. Casting aside the blatant fatphobia and xenophobia in the story, it was fine. Unfortunately or fortunately, I care far too much about the Howl's characters and will still be finishing the series.
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Xenophobia
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