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swiftie_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief
mariamizhys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Idea of the story is basically the movie "The Game" with Michael Douglas, but with magic and in a circus-like atmosphere. Understanding that and being able to predict the general direction and idea of the plot made it much less exciting than it would have been for someone who didn't know, where this was going. It was a good rendition of that idea but the characters seemed a bit too immature for me to truly empathize with them. And thankfully I was never traumatized in the way Scarlett and Tella were. So I can't truly understand them. From an educational point of view, it's good to try to understand, what a person, who went through such trauma would feel. But I'm not sure that the author depicted that most truly and authentically and so I'm afraid that she didn't quite handle it with the care it deserved.
So I applaud her for including domestic abuse victims but I'm not sure she did the justice and that feels wrong. Like she used that for shock and as an excuse for flawed writing.
All in all, nice idea, and a very fun aesthetic, but a bit too much thoughtless drama and a bit of a lack of self-awareness.
I do not believe that I will continue with this series. At least not in the near future.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Grief
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.25
There was enough mystery and world building to keep me interested in reading more, though the characters were a bit one dimensional they managed to hold my attention.
Other books I've read with this vibe did not have strong enough characters to keep me engaged and since this was a debut novel it has a lot of promise for what comes next.
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence
nicoleoc1901'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? No
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
curiositylibrary'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
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Body horror, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
avie_j's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Child abuse, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Grief, Torture, and Misogyny
Minor: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Confinement, and Suicide
tabea1409'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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Physical abuse
lifeonasofa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Grief, and Physical abuse
glorytowers05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol and Torture
anielabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, and Rape