Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

32 reviews

ronjaorsomething's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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aformeracceleratedreader's review

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

I have a lot of feelings about Ren and the story. As someone who is mixed race, I understand Ren to a certain point. Identity is difficult to navigate as is but when there is something as big as different cultures/races to navigate as well makes it like a billion times tougher. What irritated me so much about Ren was her selfishness and how focused she was on only being one aspect of her identity. You should never disown any aspect of yourself, all sides of your identity make you you and her adamantly denying her Reaper/white side was annoying. I've been there, told I'm not enough this or that because I'm mixed, constantly seen as other regardless of where I go, but I don't deny any sides of myself. Granted I wasn't bullied to the extent she was nor was I ever disowned by a parent so of course she harbored a lot more negative feelings towards one side of her heritage. But to constantly deny and hate on it when her brother was always there for her was annoying at best.  Also didn't love how adamant Ren was that Japan was better/going to be better when it is just as bad with racism and xenophobia. Didn't love that she was more willing to take racism in hopes of being accepted there. Yes it's the motherland, and we all want to be accepted in the motherland, but at what point do we find self respect and accept they don't want us there either and find a place that will?
Also didn't really like the kind of random make out session in the middle of one of the quests. Really threw me out of the whole thing for that little bit. 
I did really enjoy the world though, I'm a sucker for yokai, and I hope Ren will find what she is searching for in the next book because what she is searching for deserves much better. I will still be planning on reading the sequel just for the hope that things turn out positively and some reconciliation will be there. 
I also love that this was written by a mixed race author so of course I'm biased to support. Overall liked the writing and story so I hope Ren is less agitating in the sequel.

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alicelalicon's review against another edition

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Not feeling engaged with the characters

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scrubsandbooks's review

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4.0


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bittennailbooks's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

3.75

A passionate, dark, and lonely book that is overflowing with diaspora. 3.9/5

The Keeper of Night is a beautiful retelling of the diasporic Reaper Ren who will do almost anything to stay out of the high Reapers criticizing gaze or abusive reach. Being half British and half Japanese, Ren is consistently kicked down by other Reapers for her "half-breed" status and dreams of running away with her best friend/half-brother in tow.

A reaping night like any other, Ren finally fights back against the other Reapers who torment her, unleashing her long hidden Shinigami powers and thus sealing her fate. She now must flee to a home in Japan she's never known in hopes of finding her birth mother and hopefully, a way to control her Shinigami magic.


I finished this book in one sitting due to its fast paced writing but it sort of felt a little bit empty when I closed in on the big twist. I wish I would have been taken a bit more into the adventure to Japan or that Hiro's advances didn't feel so out left field later on. However, I would definitely continue on with the series as it stands and hats off to Baker for her raw examination of bi-racial experiences.

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r1vana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 I was not a hero with a tragic backstory, I was just a girl nobody wanted.

 This is the story of a villain?

The first twenty percent hit the mark. I was so into it. But the more I read it, the more I got disappointed. 
The world building is lacking. I got really confused 
While I understand that the MC is going through racism and discrimination from the people she once called her own, she seem to consequentially makes wrong decision, in Japan, and put her younger brother in danger. 
In an other pov, I see how the British Reapers are “groomed” to be unknown to the “real” world. Wren's biracial identity is shown so we, readers, could see  how she uses both of her parents' abilities aka becoming a much more powerful than the other Reapers aka inevitable opponent. 

We get to see how melancholic Wren feels when she is lost in her identity: England? Or Japan?

I love Naven’s character. It is somewhat different to see a reaper feeling human feelings and is also soft hearted. He loves animals and is kind hearted to the dying and brings them peace and make them “believe” that there is heaven and there is a place for them…. Whereas, Wren is terrifying and should I say dark and not emphatic when it comes to collecting the souls of human/. 

 
We also get to see where both Wren and Naven meet Hiro, a passerby and decides to help Wren to find her identity and her mother. What Wren didn’t expected is her confusing feelings for him. (Their chemistry was almost nonexistent(for a reason) and there were no progress). What saddens me is how gullible Wren was acting whenever the topic of <I> helping Hiro </I> gets into her convo with her brother. 
But the ending tho, was not expecting that…
was not expecting Wren to go into her villain era and kill Hiro as well…
 
I am excited and hopeful for the second book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book as a whole.

TW: death; bullying; murder; graphic violence; absent parent; racism 

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woelkchen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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mandkips's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • 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


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brichneyfloss's review

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0


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