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spellbindingtomes's reviews
321 reviews
- 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
I've had this book sitting on my shelf for the longest time and I'm so upset with myself for not reading it sooner.
Randy Ribay writes a deeply moving story exploring identity and loss that follows Jay, a Filipino-American teenager seeking the truth behind his cousin's death in the Philippines.
This absolutely blew me away. Jay's journey resonated deeply with me - from his raw grief, to his complex experience as a Filipino-American, to his relentless search to uncover the truth about his cousin's death.
Randy's writing was incredibly captivating, pulling me in from the very first chapter. Jay's struggles with identity and grief was portrayed perfectly. The mystery surrounding his cousin's death created such a tense, haunting atmosphere that I found myself unable to put the book down, desperately following Jay's search for answers. His journey became my own - I felt every moment of his fear, shared in his anger and sadness, and by the end, his tears were mine too.
I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Without question, it's earned its spot among my top reads of the year.
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Murder
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Abandonment, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Cancer
- 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: Bullying, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reviews for this book seem to be decidedly split, with readers either loving or strongly disliking Ava's approach - and I'm firmly in the 'love it' camp. Ava's enthralling writing pulled me out of my recent audiobook slump, transforming Shakespeare's classic Macbeth with a dark, witchy feminist lens that completely reimagines one of its central character.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War