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chattie_the_mad_chatter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed how it drew from Mythology as well as different aspects of the fairy tale and the use of thrice repeated. The Winter atmosphere of both the mortal and Stark Kingdoms along with the harsh world's of both created a fantastic winter setting.
Themes of a pragmatic business sense and greed were mixed with compassion and weakness along with women at the bottom of life's ladder finding inner strength to take their place in the harsh unrelenting world.
It was nice to see Jewish representation with a fantasy and the family values were the spot of warmth that was well needed.
Despite this, I did not warm to the characters and I can’t pinpoint why. I liked them and followed their adventures, but i did not make friends with them and grow attached like I usually do with at least one characte. I'm not sure if this was a narrative voice choice where secondary characters gave first person perspective and I would have preferred 3rd person? That could be a factor. I am glad I read this, but it's not going to be a favourite re-read, which I think is down to my personal preference.
Moderate: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Violence, and Child abuse
raquelrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Child death, and Sexism
seadeepy'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
4.25
Graphic: Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual assault
Minor: War and Rape
bammys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Misogyny and Domestic abuse
beewitchtt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A robber who steals a knife and cuts himself cannot cry out against the woman who kept it sharp.
Spinning Silver, I think, has become my favorite book I have ever read. I originally picked this book up for the promise of a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and a romance- but instead I got a poignant story of three women saving the world despite their unsavory situations. It's a book about agency, about over-coming fear, and about finding the spaces that make you feel safe and holding them tightly.
Not to say this book does not have romance, but it is extremely slow-burn, and keeps you on your toes. It will dangle these relationships in front of you, and you the reader, who is so used to unearned love and yearning will ask for it to just happen already. But Naomi Novik has complete control of this story the entire way through and does what's best for the story. It is beautifully written, and has captured me for days.
I do not think that this book is for everyone, but I recommend everyone give it a try. If you give it a chance to enchant you- you will have no regrets.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Body horror and Gore
Minor: Rape and Animal death
bettysbookishworld'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
4.75
Graphic: Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcoholism
Minor: Miscarriage and Grief
spellboundreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse and Antisemitism
Moderate: Sexism
Women being bartered or sold into marriage. Physical abuse from a parent.haley49's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Dementia, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Violence, and Torture
maeverose's review against another edition
3.0
Gratuitous violence. Mostly from Wendy and Stepon’s povs, where they had to bring up at every opportunity that their father abused them. It felt like the author was just throwing it in there to keep the book feeling dark and gritty but there was no real purpose to it. We already know from the first few chapters that their father is a despicable human being, it didn’t need to be mentioned repeatedly every single time it switched to one of their povs.
The multiple povs. I only cared about Miryem’s and Irina’s a little bit towards the second half of the book. However I wouldn’t say the others were unnecessary (well, Magreta’s maybe) or couldn’t be interesting to other readers. I felt that it was usually pretty clear who’s pov it was right away, but the book does switch povs multiple times in every chapter, so it could get annoying.
Bad autism rep? I wanted to talk about one of the perspectives in particular: Wanda’s younger brother Stepon. His narrative voice is especially different from the others and I can’t tell if it’s just supposed to be that he’s young, abused and had a very isolated upbringing, or if he’s autistic coded. He has sensory issues with noise too, which could be a trauma response from his abuse, I’m not sure, but it felt like an attempt at a very stereotypical representation of autism, and if it was I don’t like that. It’s a very narrow minded interpretation of autism, not to mention it was just so tedious to read.
It’s overwritten. It definitely could’ve (should’ve, imo) been at least 100 pages shorter. Maybe its just because I wasn’t enjoying it that much but it felt like a drag to get through. I was bored for a lot of it.
The writing. Her style just doesn’t work for me. I liked the winter descriptions, and the folktale style of it, but I found certain sentences to be worded awkwardly to where I’d have to read them multiple times to get what she meant. It was the same with Uprooted for me. Like she’s trying to make it sound pretty but it’s just awkward to read. Could just be me. I did find some sentences that were actually grammatically incorrect though…
Homophobic?? This one was easy to miss, but the only - very minor side character - that’s gay has a crush on his own cousin. I feel like I don’t need to explain how that’s problematic.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Vomit, Child abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Body horror, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Classism, Incest, and Miscarriage
Graphic: Eye trauma Moderate: mentioned child rapeleguinstan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Antisemitism
Minor: Violence and Gore