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beate251'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
4.0
I have first encountered this story as an eight part Disney+ series. Now that I finally got round to reading the book it's based on I can see why some people have problems with the narrative. It feels a lot more disjointed than the series, with a constant back and forth and introduction of seemingly random characters who turn out to be someone we didn't expect. You'll just have to accept that there's a big cast, and we're following them all.
The book deals with a lot of difficult topics (my content warnings are probably longer than my review!) and it sometimes feels like it's too many, even though some, like the rape, are barely mentioned. The TV show fleshes the time in Edinburgh out a lot more.
The writing is beautiful but I would really recommend the Disney+ series - it makes the book a lot easier to read.
Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Rape, Terminal illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
asiminam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Colonisation
tetrootz'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: Biphobia, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
haleysversion'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: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
thescenery's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It took me the longest time to get used to it. It was confusing at first, and the process of having to get attached to multiple different characters and storylines got a little overwhelming. However, once I understood it all, it was incredible and fun and entertaining. I wish the narrative was different, I could read it all by a point of view only with no worries. And that's the thing that bothered me the most, the book format that I wish was different.
The characters were very well built! Most of them made me very angry, but for a debut, this was really well-written. I loved reading a bit of this culture in action, and it made me really want to try the Black Cake.
The whole atmosphere is a little dense, and to me, this was a slow-paced book that seemed to take forever to finish, and something new was added when you're least expecting it.
I felt like this had similar vibes to Clap When You Land in terms of vibes, but Adult. Overall, it was a good book, and I recommend it, however I'm coming to realise this isn't my kind of book. If I wasn't reading with a friend, I wouldn't be able to finish it alone.
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
midnightverde'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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War
julianh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia
toofondofbooks_'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
This book was so beautifully written. I tabbed a ton of quotes that I absolutely loved throughout, and often had to close the book so that I could gather my thoughts before opening it up again. I think this book does such a good job at capturing grief, and different types of it. The grief you feel when things are unresolved with a loved one who is gone, the grief of losing someone you were close to, and even the grief you can feel for someone who is still alive, but you're not speaking with. I also liked how it carried the theme of food being a piece of home, a piece of your heritage, to the point where Eleanor Bennett's Black Cake became a character in the story itself.
As for the plot, it was really fun trying to connect the different stories together as everything fell into place, and I loved the parallels that were drawn between different characters in tragic but also heartwarming ways.
This has nothing to do with my feelings on this book, but I wrote in my journal: "Every character in this book needs therapy" and I stand by that!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cancer, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Medical content
Minor: Sexual content