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A review by v171
The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro, Daniel Kraus
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I found this to be a really enjoyable story that was a lot more than what I was expecting. I did not see the movie, but I had a loose understanding of what it was about. But I didn't realize there would be such extensive commentary on issues such as sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, and PTSD. However, all of these themes were very seamlessly interwoven in a cohesive narrative that led to very satisfying character development for the full cast of characters. I thought this would be a plot heavy, fast paced read, but I was surprised to find that it was very introspective. There are some darker, heavy content warning scenes of the book, and don't expect any of the themes to lead to a ton of introspection. But aside from that, it was a quick, interesting read.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Car accident, Infertility, and Infidelity