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booksemmahasread's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The answer turned out to be mostly yes! It doesn't hurt that I recently bounced off of two other YA-ish-female-rage stories and I could compare and see how much better this one is (even on a sentence level). I love how Zeitan is a wrathful, manipulative thing who is fueled by spite. I also loved how singularly focused she was on women's position in the unjust pilot system. She never lost sight of the constant disregard and loss of female life, and even was able to pull her gaze back further to see that yelling at individual men was ineffective, it's the system that is rotten. And yeah, there's some cheesy bits (a character snaps his fingers and goes yeeeees at some point as the narration says the audience "gags" for a performance, which made me cringe). The blisteringly fast pace is an asset, allowing any humor that doesn't land to be quickly moved on from. The final cascade of revolutions was just as cool as it was the first time.
And yet, there's things that stood out and bothered me that I didn't think about my first time through. There's some continuity errors. This is supposed to be
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Homophobia, Sexual content, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
linblythe_pub22'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
enbyaddams'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
clownfectionary'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Medical content, and Grief
thebooksanctum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rjbedell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
However, for me the book was weighed down by excessive brutality, surprisingly immature dialogue, and at-times clumsy plot advancements. The cruelty of the novel’s world makes it impossible not to root for the title character, yet the conclusion Zetian reaches as her revenge fantasy reaches its fever pitch — “the world does not deserve my respect… kindness or compassion” — abandons speculative fiction’s potential to inspire. From a serious standpoint, the story paints a grim portrait of a woman consumed by her own rage in a seemingly endless fight against injustice. For readers able to take the book less seriously, it may provide a cathartic release valve in the form of a sensational, unpredictable bloodbath.
Reminded me strongly of The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation
abbyschalupa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good read. I loved the main character and the rage she carried with her. Going against the lies she’s been taught, she defines her own worth. The whole story, you watch her reclaim her power. I liked the romance and was invested in all 3 characters- they each had their own story and history. I cared about all of them. The dynamics between the 3 of them felt fresh.
What I liked-
A fast paced, dark story about female rage and taking back your power. I loved watching the protagonist on her journey and use her voice. A found family in the midst of abusive biological family. A love triangle where each character loves, supports, and balances one another in their own way.
What I struggled with-
This was more of a personal thing, as where I was didn’t quite mesh with the book. There’s an emphasis on dark themes and while much isn’t grotesque, it’s present. The hunduns are the enemy in the war, yet there’s not enough description on what they actually are or what they look like. I had no idea how to picture them. For the war to be a central focus, it felt like a blatant missing piece to have scarcely any information about them. There’s a big twist at the end meant to shock you, and it felt a bit cheap.
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
Minor: Genocide and Rape
katie0528'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Blood
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
gondorgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism