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kaanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, and Abandonment
jolineliest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
helenaramsay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The story is paced well, spanning from Shakespeare and Anne's childhoods to their grief at losing Hamnet. The story flicks between the present in which Hamnet is slowly dying (of which the reader is aware from the beginning), and the past, with the tones of both stories balancing out neatly to provide tension and grief with hope and tenderness, allowing the reader to prepare for tragedy and culminating in a very sensitive portrayal of grief over the loss of a child which is not played for shock factor.
The relationship between Anne and Shakespeare feels complex and believable, and the characters are written so that despite their conflicting interests, you end up rooting for all of them.
Elusively refusing to call Shakespeare Shakespeare, opting instead for things like "the latin tutor" and "the father", despite the fact we know he is Shakespeare and the rest of the family have names got a bit tiring but I appreciate that this story sought to center his family in their own narrative rather than as footnotes to a man's success, so it is very tolerable.
The writing itself also had a lovely quality to it, adding a sense of poetry to the story and making it an entirely enjoyable read.
Graphic: Child death and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Infidelity and Injury/Injury detail
hjb_128's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Infidelity and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
iris3271's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror
enchantedelfie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
rosenau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
laurendenton's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, and Vomit
niaaaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence and Classism