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nomonbooks's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a YA fantasy romance and I appreciate the romance taking a backseat to the story. I'm really glad I read this but I don't think it will stay with me forever. I loved reading this story set in South Africa about a coloured (preferred term in SA and noted at the start of the book) young woman who holds so much anger. The first opening scenes where a guy shouts at her from his car and she grabs a bat and smashes in the hood makes the whole book worth a read. I love the embrace of anger and the illustrated necessity of having that anger as a weapon, especially as a woman.
I thought the dream sequences were really well done and solidly interwoven into the plot.
I do feel like there were too many moving parts at times and the focus wasn't enough on the main thrust of the story. A lot of things happened and some of them I was kind of drifting as to why I was there. There were some bad decisions made by the characters given the stakes and some moments that I didn't quite understand their reasoning when more sensible decisions were definitely available.
Overall I enjoyed this and would reccomend.
I thought the dream sequences were really well done and solidly interwoven into the plot.
I do feel like there were too many moving parts at times and the focus wasn't enough on the main thrust of the story. A lot of things happened and some of them I was kind of drifting as to why I was there. There were some bad decisions made by the characters given the stakes and some moments that I didn't quite understand their reasoning when more sensible decisions were definitely available.
Overall I enjoyed this and would reccomend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Body horror, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
rokinjaguar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
The concept is so cool, and I think it delivers well enough for what it is, but I often find YA books annoying and hard to get invested in. I often don’t find the characters and their problems relatable, and it’s rare that YA characters are truly clever or wise, which is fine cause they’re young, but it’s just often not for me.
That’s kind of the critique I had for this book, the characters could be reckless and unwise in ways that made it difficult for me to get really invested, but that’s kind of a given with many books in this genre. What makes this book unique was done pretty well. The concept is cool and plays out satisfactorily, although that’s rather subjective and others may find the ending unsatisfying. Overall it was worth the read, but I probably won’t buy it for my collection. I may check out other books by this author though! She has some good ideas!
That’s kind of the critique I had for this book, the characters could be reckless and unwise in ways that made it difficult for me to get really invested, but that’s kind of a given with many books in this genre. What makes this book unique was done pretty well. The concept is cool and plays out satisfactorily, although that’s rather subjective and others may find the ending unsatisfying. Overall it was worth the read, but I probably won’t buy it for my collection. I may check out other books by this author though! She has some good ideas!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Cursing, and Murder
Minor: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, and Sexual content
mshai's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I surprised myself by really loving this book. I had seen mixed reviews but went in with an open mind anyway because the plot sounded like something I’d enjoy and I really did. Having visited Cape Town while my brother lived there I found the setting so viscerally visible when I was reading this like I could see where the characters were and the landscape that they’ve grown up with and I really feel like the author did a great job of having such a strong fantasy story in such a real contemporary place. I just wanted to keep reading and see what would happen and how things would work out. It was an enjoyable read and I wanted more! This book is about a girl called Savannah who is dying from a blood curse and her journey through that and to find answers on a curse that has affected her family for generations. The magic was interesting and had strong imagery and the characters felt real. For a standalone fantasy book, it did a good job of dropping you in a new world and yet still managing to resolve it (most of it) at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
grrrlbrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I’m really struggling with slug brain at the moment, but this book is INCREDIBLE, I loved it so much! Anger, blood magic, curses, intergenerational trauma - just such a good read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Genocide
lethukhanyile's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Car accident, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, and Death
cereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, Stalking, and Confinement
mjscooke's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
I received an advanced reading copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and...
There is so much to love about Blood to Poison by Mary Watson. The novel is a fantastical take on come of age and coming to terms with your emotions. Savannah has all the typical teenage drama with the added weight of the familial curse. Throughout the novel she learns more about her curse, her family, and herself in deeply engaging well-paced story that at its heart is a tale of generational trauma that addresses tough issues through the lens of magic and mystery. I'd highly recommend this any fan of YA fantasy particularly those looking for novels without an Afrocentric view. And while you can't judge a book by it's cover... I'd buy this just to have the artwork on my self as it is stunning!
There is so much to love about Blood to Poison by Mary Watson. The novel is a fantastical take on come of age and coming to terms with your emotions. Savannah has all the typical teenage drama with the added weight of the familial curse. Throughout the novel she learns more about her curse, her family, and herself in deeply engaging well-paced story that at its heart is a tale of generational trauma that addresses tough issues through the lens of magic and mystery. I'd highly recommend this any fan of YA fantasy particularly those looking for novels without an Afrocentric view. And while you can't judge a book by it's cover... I'd buy this just to have the artwork on my self as it is stunning!
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Death, and Sexual harassment
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