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sadiefc's review
3.0
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Police brutality, Abandonment, and War
readingpicnic's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Police brutality
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia
ashleycmms's review
- 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: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Infidelity, and Death of parent
karcitis'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: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia
coolfoolmoon'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
4.0
Emezi has a real talent, a real beauty in absorbing me into these words. There was one page I gasped at least 10 times, just one page! And throughout the whole book I was so giddy. But can you blame me? A straight (presenting(?)) couple so gay they grow to have a trans daughter? I love it here! We have no choice but to stan! If there's a third book I'm sending Emezi my paycheck the day the book is announced.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Blood, Police brutality, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia
bisexualwentworth's review
4.0
Bitter is a strange, somewhat biblical, beautiful little book about revolution and the power of art. Unsurprisingly, it was right up my alley. I knew I would enjoy it because I loved Pet and because everything Akwaeke Emezi writes has a little bit of magic in it, but this one really came through. I loved the characters and their relationships and all of the conversations about what it means to be an activist and the different roles that different people play in revolution. All of that was stunning.
The actual depictions of activism were definitely kind of lacking. Why were all of the organizers teenagers? Why weren’t they more informed? My activist organizer friend was very annoyed by this, and now I am also annoyed.
The pacing was also kind of off, especially at the end.
Honestly I enjoyed this book a lot when I first read it, but in retrospect, I want a lot more. Of course the story is focused on Bitter and her personal growth, but after reading Pet, I definitely expected the prequel to show how society actually got to that more utopian state. Instead, all of the changes happen at the very end, very quickly, off-page. And of course change is still a process, but generally I’m not convinced that this book did an amazing job of either portraying activism or setting up the book it’s a prequel for.
I still enjoyed the story and loved the characters, though. I’m especially glad that Bitter had Blessing and Aloe in her life.
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, and Police brutality
sarah984's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
calamitywindpetal's review
- 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: Death and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
beforeviolets'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
Akwaeke Emezi writes modern day bible stories. Simultaneously a mirror of our own society and a warning sign of a future that could be, this book is the voice of a revolution.
CW: police brutality, self harm (for magic), blood, gore, death, violence, gun violence, domestic child abuse (past), homophobia (past, mention)
Graphic: Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse and Death
Minor: Homophobia
sonaea'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
4.5
My only critical points are of the storytelling-kind: Some of the conflicts between the characters that first seem huge are suddenly not important at all anymore. They forgive and forget and while they do talk about it, it's easily solved (especially thinking about
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and War
Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Violence, and Death of parent