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amiably's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
different style of writing & intersting choice, doug including himself as a character. good idea but flawed execution; he just came off as narcissistic.
some words were definitely outdated and should no longer be used.
doug writing this as a cis white person was not a good choice. he acknowledges in the foreword how he has practically no clue what happened during ww2 before meeting charlotte, but goes through with writing this anyway. shouldn’t authors do tons of research before writing a book about a sensitive topic? not doug, i guess.
this story is less a biography of charlotte von mahlsdorf and more a story about doug’s borderline obsession with her, which he personally tells the reader in the beginning.
i’d probably enjoy this more if a trans author wrote this and could fully express the nuance in charlotte von mahlsdorf’s life.
as always, check TWs before reading.
some words were definitely outdated and should no longer be used.
doug writing this as a cis white person was not a good choice. he acknowledges in the foreword how he has practically no clue what happened during ww2 before meeting charlotte, but goes through with writing this anyway. shouldn’t authors do tons of research before writing a book about a sensitive topic? not doug, i guess.
this story is less a biography of charlotte von mahlsdorf and more a story about doug’s borderline obsession with her, which he personally tells the reader in the beginning.
i’d probably enjoy this more if a trans author wrote this and could fully express the nuance in charlotte von mahlsdorf’s life.
as always, check TWs before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Deadnaming
Moderate: Violence, Antisemitism, and Death
Minor: War and Confinement
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