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jencolumb0's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Just when I thought I couldn’t love Evie Dunmore’s writing anymore, she takes on the (typically unspoken) complexities around motherhood and immigration, contributes her efforts to reducing bi erasure, and more directly re-writes the script for neurodiversity (folks are more accepting) and colonialism (folks more stridently opposed thereto). Catronia, Elias and their story are lovely, complex, weighty characters who occupy spaces in history that are frequently, in pop culture, more about the aesthetic than the substance. There are also delightful, more direct check-ins with each of the three prior couples.
(Relatedly, while, technically, one can read the books separately, the series epilogue at the conclusion of this book would be quite lost on that reader.)
With this book, Evie Dunore has produced a powerful and satisfying end to a series that is astonishingly accurate and deft in its portrayal of navigating the modern, western world as an intelligent girl, then woman. If Barbie, the movie, brought out all the feels, then this is your new favorite series. Enjoy!
(Relatedly, while, technically, one can read the books separately, the series epilogue at the conclusion of this book would be quite lost on that reader.)
With this book, Evie Dunore has produced a powerful and satisfying end to a series that is astonishingly accurate and deft in its portrayal of navigating the modern, western world as an intelligent girl, then woman. If Barbie, the movie, brought out all the feels, then this is your new favorite series. Enjoy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Colonisation, Abandonment, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Blood and Pregnancy
Minor: War and Abortion
Also, a scene or two in which piercing is discussed and some homophobia (challenged in the sense that the related character flees instead of stick around for it).purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Grief, and Sexism
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, and Death of parent
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
slow-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
4.5
I loved the escalation of commentary on colonialism and artifact theft in this book and Elias and Catriona make an explosive pair.
The plot felt a little heavier and slower in this book than the previous three and I also feel like if you haven’t read the first three books in this series this book is not going to work as well as the other books in this series do as standalones. THAT SAID, the little glimpses into each of the other three couples felt like a gift to the reader. I did miss Elias and Catriona in the epilogue although this epilogue is DOING A LOT.
I enjoyed this one and it felt like a fitting end to the series. Catriona is very relatable and sensitive and observant and I enjoyed being in her head although it was just as hard as being in my own head at times. I would have jumped out of that carriage too!!!
Recommended, but you need to read the other three books first.
The plot felt a little heavier and slower in this book than the previous three and I also feel like if you haven’t read the first three books in this series this book is not going to work as well as the other books in this series do as standalones. THAT SAID, the little glimpses into each of the other three couples felt like a gift to the reader. I did miss Elias and Catriona in the epilogue although this epilogue is DOING A LOT.
I enjoyed this one and it felt like a fitting end to the series. Catriona is very relatable and sensitive and observant and I enjoyed being in her head although it was just as hard as being in my own head at times. I would have jumped out of that carriage too!!!
Recommended, but you need to read the other three books first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, Homophobia, and War
yourbookishbff's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
This, for me, was a perfect conclusion to Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women. Through the first three books in the series, Catriona has been an observer, with limited on-page dialogue and limited roles in action, and now, with her inner monologue finally available to us, we can understand why. Dunmore writes Catriona with such respect and tenderness, highlighting - but never simplifying or caricaturing - her neurodivergence, shedding light on her childhood trauma and granting us a view into her past loves and heartbreaks. The plot moves methodically through Catriona's ghosts, helping her to find peace and self-confidence, while also moving her directly into the orbit of a person who can truly see her, someone who will make her feel known. Elias, a man caught between mountain and sea, the Levant and the West, a life of business and a life pursuing reparation, is a person who immediately recognizes the fear and flight woven into Catriona. For as much as Catriona provides him a place to rest, he does the same for her, and he insists on her honesty - with herself and with him - at every turn, propelling her own self-discovery and healing.
Dunmore has moved through new facets of the suffragette movement and feminist politics in each installment, but this is the first where she has directly addressed British (and more broadly European) colonialism and imperialism. Elias is Lebanese and a Maronite Catholic, and his perspective consistently challenges our suffragettes to recognize and condemn the violence of British imperialism around the world. Dunmore deftly weaves commentary on international conflict into dialogue, and in a few expertly done conversations, shows the limits of white feminism within the suffragette movement as our women must work harder to be true accomplices to Elias.
And the epilogue. I won't ever be able to reread it - I cried all the way through. I'm honestly left emotionally reeling from the depth and vulnerability of this series conclusion, and I'm so grateful to Dunmore for bringing readers on this journey with Annabelle, Lucie, Hattie and Catriona.
Dunmore has moved through new facets of the suffragette movement and feminist politics in each installment, but this is the first where she has directly addressed British (and more broadly European) colonialism and imperialism. Elias is Lebanese and a Maronite Catholic, and his perspective consistently challenges our suffragettes to recognize and condemn the violence of British imperialism around the world. Dunmore deftly weaves commentary on international conflict into dialogue, and in a few expertly done conversations, shows the limits of white feminism within the suffragette movement as our women must work harder to be true accomplices to Elias.
And the epilogue. I won't ever be able to reread it - I cried all the way through. I'm honestly left emotionally reeling from the depth and vulnerability of this series conclusion, and I'm so grateful to Dunmore for bringing readers on this journey with Annabelle, Lucie, Hattie and Catriona.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Classism
Notes on consent: consent is a mix of verbal and nonverbal (frequent check-ins). Pregnancy prevention is discussed and actions are taken (condom use).
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