Scan barcode
aleyajo's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Classism, Medical content, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Misogyny, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and War
winterjasmine's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Blood, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, and Cultural appropriation
discocaptain's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Colonisation, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Misogyny, Suicide, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Cultural appropriation, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, War, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Gun violence, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
jiwiz's review
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
I'd describe this book in one sentence as a loud 'Fuck you' to western colonialism. I've seen people criticise how on-the-nose it is. It drives its point home in such a glaringly obvious way that it's impossible to misinterpret it. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about that quality. There are definitely moments where I think it could've been communicated more subtly. The magic system was also a little difficult for me to understand, but maybe that's the audiobook effect, or it was meant to be a little abstract. I did enjoy the characters. I saw myself a lot in Robin.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Solid read for someone like me with a very casual interest in language and etymology!
Graphic: Racism, Death, Colonisation, Murder, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Torture, Addiction, Child abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Violence, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Blood
liafiles's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Colonisation, War, Death, Misogyny, Gun violence, Classism, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual harassment
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There are several characters that I wish had been explored more
It also would have been interesting to see the effects Britain was having on other places in addition to China, which may have helped cement each of our four main characters' motivations a bit better. We know explicitly that Robin and Ramy want to help their homelands but Victoire is a little unclear and Letty is Letty.
There is a really great quote about Letty and how her upbringing shapes her world:
The ending was unsatisfactory because of the epilogue.
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexism, Slavery, Cultural appropriation, War, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Ableism, Classism, and Drug use
Minor: Death of parent, Gun violence, Death, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
We see body horror-esque violence precisely in one scene. There is a lot of blood-related description from that scene on.jrae_miller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, Torture, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, Islamophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Torture, Sexism, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Alcohol, Violence, Death, and Classism
johannaplatt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: War, Murder, Colonisation, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Suicide, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Classism
Moderate: Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
navayiota's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Slavery, Murder, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Suicide, Blood, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death of parent, Misogyny, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Islamophobia, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Addiction, and Deportation
penofpossibilities's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Blood, Sexism, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Colonisation, Classism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime
Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Islamophobia, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Child death, and War