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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
- I'll be honest, I didn't love that Rahul was sort of a nice guy/friendzone character. But he was such a good counterbalance to Jasmine that I could look past it for the most part.
- Hibbert also excels at giving characters real backstory - often tough ones - and exploring those experiences in a safe and loving way.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
- The battle scenes in this book are AWESOME. I was on the edge of my seat every time.
- I do think there were maybe a few too many characters in the crew to keep track of, and I wanted a bit more worldbuilding, but I'm hoping that all comes in the sequel. I'm following Eris and Sona through to the (probably bitter) end.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder
- Yes, it is an inventive adventure across time and space, but it's also a tender exploration of trauma and of found family.
- Also, it doesn't say it in the synopsis, but queerness is quite embedded in this story, and in such a loving way.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Incest
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Deadnaming
- I've seen some reviews complain about the number of narrators, but I really enjoyed the many points of view. Given how much was going on, it felt like I was seeing many sides of the action.
- One big thing that dragged this down for me was the implication that the disabled character couldn't fully access her joy and artistic talent unless she was actively in pain. I understand how that concept integrated with the overall plot, but it felt icky at times.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry
- THE MARVELOUS is THE WESTING GAME filtered through social media, and I loved every second of it. Kann's fictional app nails the taxonomy of influencers, particularly when talking about what it takes to make it big.
- The central riddle and mystery was quite fun to try to solve along with the players, especially given that most of the characters were playing with hidden motives or only sharing partial information.
- It did take me a bit to be able to keep straight who was who since there are a lot of characters and we go from their usernames to their real names fairly quickly. But once I got a handle on that, I was in for the ride, strange clues, shifting loyalties, potential romances and all.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent
- THE COMPANY DAUGHTERS is based on true events, and this practice is one I'd never heard of. It was harrowing and heartbreaking to read about.
- Even as tragedy and losses mounted, you can't help but root for Jana and Sontje as they try to do the best with what they're given and push back on the patriarchal structure of their society from the inside.
- This is maybe a minor spoiler, but it was such a surprise to me that I want to make sure to highlight it - this story is a sapphic romance between Jana and Sontje for much of the book. Of course, given the time period and their circumstances, it's a tough road for them, but it was so lovely to see them take joy and comfort in each other when they could.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
📚 A CHORUS RISES is the sequel to A SONG BELOW WATER, and it's tough to talk about the plot without spoiling the first book, so I'm going to be a little vague.
📚 This book is much more about internal exploration for Naema as she navigates the fallout of the first book's events, so it moves much slower, but I greatly enjoyed getting to know her.
📚 This book is more complicated and messy than the first one, but still no less true to life, magical beings aside. Every time you think Morrow can't fold in another aspect of modern life, she does, and it's spectacular.
📚 It was quite heartbreaking to watch Naema discover that her Eloko identity quickly takes a backseat when people decide her Blackness is more important (in a bad way). However, it was in equal measure heart-filling to see her find home in her family and her ancestors.
Graphic: Racism, Stalking