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gkm00's review against another edition
4.0
Minor: Racial slurs, Death, Excrement, Medical content, Abandonment, Deportation, Rape, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Addiction, Classism, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Slavery, Alcohol, Confinement, Misogyny, Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal death, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Torture
ruffian23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Slavery, Deportation, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, and Genocide
backpackingbookworm's review
- 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
Feeling extremely grateful to my book club for picking this one as I had never come across this novel or author, both of which have now become firm favourites.
Firstly, the writing was nothing short of stunning. It was beautifully descriptive, shockingly realistic, and truly captivating. The parts on the ship had my stomach churning - I've never read such a detailed description of a voyage and it showed just how much research the author put into her writing and characters. There was one part that left me gasping (IYKYK) and was a huge risk that the author took but it more than paid off.
The characters were so realistic that I feel like I'm missing a small limb now that I've finished the book. I became so attached to their stories and livelihoods that it felt especially hard to part from them. This is definitely one of those books where I could have quite happily had an extra 100+ pages to keep the story from ending. Evangeline's bravery, Hazel's determination, Mathinna's resilience, and Ruby's stubbornness were all traits that produced four strong, memorable leading females that will stay with me for a long time.
Another thing I appreciated was how the author blended fact with fiction. I love well-researched books that are based, to some extent, on historical events and The Exiles offered so much more than just a fictional tale. It was a poignant and shocking insight into colonialism, injustice, abuse and mistreatment of indigenous people, and the imprisonment of female convicts sent to Australia from Britain for the main purpose of breeding. While massively eye-opening, it was also educational and made me want to expand my knowledge, especially as I now live in this country myself.
A real gem of a masterpiece. I can't wait to explore this author's other works.
Rating breakdown
- Plot/narrative - 4.8
- Writing style/readability - 4.9
- Characters - 4.8
- Diverse themes - 4.8
- Ending - 4.7
Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Confinement
Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Racism
kimveach'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: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Excrement, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Animal death, Bullying, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
baearles'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
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Racism
Moderate: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Abortion, and Alcohol
sarahasyouwish'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: Vomit, Sexism, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual assault
nicoleta7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Xenophobia, Murder, Vomit, Torture, Slavery, Sexism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage