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cheuksin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, War, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Slavery, and Vomit
hollyk'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
5.0
Ikenna is an absolute badass. She's also flawed, and I like that she's hotheaded, impulsive, and doesn't back down. Her resilience is commendable and I think she's incredibly complex. She shows a lot of growth, but I also think a lot of other characters show growth as well, which I think can often get lost in other books. Several characters have some big changes and I am glad to see that growth.
The pacing is a little slow at first, but once the Trials start, they Start™. One of the twists is kind of obvious, but I think that the details of it are well executed and are shocking. I won't say more because spoilers. Speaking of, TW in spoilers:
I loved this book and I will not stop thinking about it for the foreseeable future
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Medical content, Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Classism, Confinement, Racial slurs, Torture, and War
Moderate: Sexual content and Xenophobia
Minor: Pregnancy
tinyjude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Even though some of the plots were predictable and there were inconsistencies with certain characters' behaviours (probably trying to rush a growth path), it was still an addicting read that tackles subtly interesting themes such as militarism propaganda, institutional racism, institutional sexism, duty vs rightness... with a compelling world-building (i especially loved the forest trial and getting to know these abominable creatures). I am eager to see where the story takes us next and if my theories about the next book are as correct the ones i made in this one.
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Death of parent, Violence, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Grief, War, Racism, Animal death, Gaslighting, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Colonisation and Slavery
headinthepages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Racism, Animal death, Cursing, Child death, Death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Gun violence, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual content, War, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Xenophobia
smallbluemars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cannibalism, and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Classism, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Gore, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Racism, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual content
daradara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall I liked the story. The gore and violence reminded me of Red Rising which I loved. The book was lacking in the romance department that it tried to have and some parts didn’t seem overly necessary.
Graphic: Racism, Gore, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Sexual content
caroline_rk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, War, and Xenophobia
thelostartofsecretkeeping'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
Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Bullying, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, Classism, Gaslighting, Gore, Torture, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
nerdy_book_mom'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: Death, Gore, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Murder, Racism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Bullying, Sexism, and Torture
Minor: Classism