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kestrel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Considering the tough topic this book deals with, I feel like I have to explain my rating but it boils down to one thing. The writing of this book just didn't work for me at all, which I didn't expect to be my issue since I liked a lot the writing in Wild Beauty. But in this one, the descriptions didn't do it for me, and some words and phrases just got so repetitive that I felt annoyed.
Now apart from that, I don't have many issues with the book. Some choices were made for sure, but I'm not sure what I feel about them yet. I do think it's a very important story, and I recommend it as long as it doesn't trigger you. It's about two SA survivors, one is a Mexican pan girl and the other one is a white guy, who are hurt at the same party and at the same time. The girl remembers everything and the pain makes her lose her power, while the guy doesn't remember much. They become friends and each other's support system, and then something more. There are also elements of magical realism in this story, like Ciela's power to guess the perfect pan dulce for someone, or things around her turning into mirror glass after that party (Well, it is loosely based on the Snow Queen fairytale).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Biphobia
Minor: Alcoholism
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