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modernmatilda'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
5.0
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It's no secret that I LOVE books with dark fairytale princesses-who-will-kill-you vibes, so I already knew The Midnight Girls was going to be a big hit with me. The book follows two rivals, Zosia and Marynka, who are in competition for a prince's heart. But not in an affectionate lovey-dovey fall-for-me way; they are literally competing to see who can rip out his heart first to bring it back for their jaga (witch grandmother) to eat. And then they slowly start to fall for each other. While growing their magic. At a winter festival. I am HERE FOR IT!!!!!!
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The ending is GORGEOUS and open-ended in a poetic way, the snowy atmospheric setting is delightful, and the representation throughout is fantastic. I wish the title was different (only one of the girls is named Midnight) and I wanted more exploration of the prince's side of the story (especially with Kajeta!), but overall this is my first 5-star book of the year.
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I'm so thankful to Aly for the physical advanced readers copy and Alicia Jasinska for writing such a delightful fantasy standalone (which the world needs more of).
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cw: child abuse, blood, body horror (brief), death, murder
rep: Polish-coded cast & setting, lesbian mc, bi female mc, lesbian character, gay character, bi male character, Muslim side character, Jewish side character
Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Blood and Body horror
ramunepocky'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
4.5
Moderate: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and War
mothie_girlie'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
4.0
Graphic: Death
Minor: Child abuse
halfelfschollar'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
5.0
All the characters in this story felt alive and relatable. I can't think of one character that I did not like in some way and found aspects of their personality or story that related to my personal experiences. Whether that be Marynka's desire to prove herself or Zosia's hesitance to let herself be close to others. Even characters who did not get a point of view felt realistic and relatable.
The romance in this book had me grinning so hard! If you're a fan or rivals/enemies to lovers definitely pick this up.
Graphic: Violence and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: War
_courtney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Cannibalism and Child abuse
Minor: Blood, War, and Death
nutm3g'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: Blood, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Gun violence, War, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
abbyschalupa'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
3.0
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Suicide
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
It's a furious, action-packed standoff as our monsters try to outperform one another and win the prize. They are unapologetically vicious and powerful as they pass through the upper echelons of society to get close to his royal highness. The tension between the two is palpable and fraught as they come to understand one another as something other than the competition. The third monster, Beata, creates an interesting counterpoint, not caught up in the mutual frenzy.
The world-building here is decadent and festive even with the dark patina of magic and the looming imperial threats. The sapphic romance is chaotic and heartfelt, with an equally resounding mlm love story at the periphery. While the hunt for the heart is resolved by book's end, it still leaves us with a bit of an open ending regarding how these girls will move forward and stake a claim on their own future. I enjoyed the read, especially appreciating the anti-imperialist sentiment, even if our monstrous girls don't exactly take up the cause.
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Blood, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment, and War
amivireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
Thank you Edelweiss and SourcebooksFire for an arc, here is my honest review.
3.75 stars
Some books just arenât for you and this is one of those books. I enjoyed my time reading it, but I knew early on that it wouldnât be a new favorite of mine.
The pacing was mostly great, a few times things dragged a little, but not too much that made reading less enjoyable.
The cycle of abuse and how difficult it is to break away from is a heavy theme in this book. And as someone who has gone through a similar type of abuse, I felt seen.
Anyone who is looking for a sapphic fantasy with enemies to lovers will enjoy this book.
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and War