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hannah_bug 's review for:
The Familiar
by Leigh Bardugo
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a delicious read! Bardugo is a master of crafting stories from slow, methodical layerings of details and symbolism. The plot became irrelevant as the book went on, which only bothered me because it was made out to be important in the first place. I like a character driven story, but to pretend that the "torneo" the MC competes in has anything to really do with what will happen later on. I really liked the characters in this book, as they completely drove the story. Boy howdy, did I understand the yearning in this book. Catholic yearning done like few others is held within these pages. The other thing that bothered me about the book was the lack of queerness. A side character becomes queer, and there is an undercurrent of that between her and the female MC, expect the MC is straight. I feel like Luzia could've been bi with both the man and the side queer lady, and it would've made for an even more emotionally complex story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Classism