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vedpears's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The depicted relationships and family dynamics are realistic and dive deep without bogging the reader down. The very real occupation of Hawaii is both a backdrop and a nemesis in this book and I appreciate Hakes' willingness to lay out all the pain that comes with that here, without softening the language to make the invaders uncomfortable. I think Hakes does a fine job balancing fact and fiction to ensure the readers walk away being able to trust this view through a literary window of the ongoing theft of Hawaii from her people.
The only thing that keeps this from being a 5-star is that I felt the first third of the book didn't fit as well or flow as nicely as the rest of the novel. The beginning didn't have the same raw emotion/depth that the remainder of the story did, and I initially found it very difficult to push on - glad I did, but that took effort to push through.
Content warning: maternal estrangement, miscarriage, colonizers, bullying, cancer, car accident, death.
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Death, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Car accident, Colonisation, Cancer, Bullying, and Body shaming
devynreadsnovels's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Child abuse, Racism, Colonisation, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Bullying, and Physical abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Cancer, Misogyny, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
booksemmahasread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Miscarriage, Colonisation, Classism, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, and Cancer
internationalreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Cancer
rhiannonafternoon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage
loveinpanels's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage and Colonisation
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment