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riverestyx's reviews
27 reviews
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Body shaming
Moderate: Suicide, Religious bigotry, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abortion, Antisemitism, Addiction, Medical content, and Racial slurs
Did not finish book. Stopped at 4%.
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can see why folks would struggle with this book because it's more prose than you'd expect from a novel and often sparse on details and world building. You have to just go with the details of the world as they come. If you're okay with those then i highly recommend!
Graphic: Blood, Death, War, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Torture
4.5
It was nice to look back on some of the media and reflect on it now that I've been out for a bit. Like the author, I was in the closet into adulthood- deeply closeted at that. This even inspired me to write a poem in defense of the song I Kissed A Girl because the essay on it got me thinking about the song in a new light.
If you're a queer millennial who came of age from like 2006 to 2011 then I think you'll enjoy this book.
Minor: Homophobia and Biphobia
- 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
4.5
As a nonbinary person, it was fantastic to see a nonbinary main character that is realistic- especially in a romance novel no less! And a nonbinary character that isn't focused on a tragic backstop. Yeah, not everyone is good with the transness but it's not an overshadowing thing. It's all very much how things go in reality.
Both main characters were loveable. In and out of their perspectives. A cooking show as the story stage adds fun drama. The cooking show naturally moves the story along while the characters also do. The fade to black spicy scenes is also appreciated.
I'd recommend this book to my friends who like romance novels and suggest it as a nice in for anyone who feels meh about the genre.
Moderate: Transphobia
2.0
Before I gripe more I want to say that if you struggle with Yom Kippur because of the way many Jewish people address mortality via what feels like death cosplay because you have trauma, are poor, disabled or chronically ill, or anything like that you will struggle with this book in the same ways. I'm trying to find ways to make YK meaningful when I regularly have to deal with failing health and forced poverty as my entire life.
There is so much sexism blatantly on the pages (and how he talked about his ex wife was.. odd) all throughout the book as well. It very much feels like R' Lew was the kind of person to say he supported minorities but his actions or how he says it tells us otherwise.
I wouldn't suggest this book as some great book for the season to a marginalized person at all.
Moderate: Sexism
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was a slow start and Feyre's I'm not like the other girls attitude was incredibly grating during the first half of the book. Her opinions of her sisters was also obnoxious to sit through. I get why she feels that way but Feyre just has zero nuance as a character or in her opinions. Maybe I have this gripe because I was like her as a teen/young adult but it was a real drag either way.
There is also a character in here that it seems like her only job is to info dump onto Feyre, and therefore the reader, which sucks because she could have been a really interesting and useful (in other ways) character.
This wasn't a Bad book but it also wasn't a Capitol G Good book either. I do plan on reading the second book as I'm told it is better than the first one so we shall see.
Graphic: Torture, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Ableism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit, Slavery, Ableism, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Stalking, and Miscarriage
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Genocide, and Medical content