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Has Two Mommies is now a disambig. Dewicking
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* HasTwoMommies: Sheriff Crow is briefly shown with her two aging mothers.
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Asexuality is now a disambiguation page.
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* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love. [[spoiler:She finds that she can only feel love and sexual attraction alike when she forms a strong emotional bond, though the word "demisexuality" is never outright mentioned in the book.]]
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved
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* NotSoDifferent: Yuki spends much of the book at odds with Ross, but realizes that maybe they're the same [[spoiler:because they've had trouble in their past and been forced to run away from it and they're not used to having to justify themselves when everyone else wants them to.]]
to:
* NotSoDifferent: NotSoDifferentRemark: Yuki spends much of the book at odds with Ross, but realizes that maybe they're the same [[spoiler:because they've had trouble in their past and been forced to run away from it and they're not used to having to justify themselves when everyone else wants them to.]]
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Badass Gay isn't a trope anymore.
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* BadassGay: Yuki may be a prince and he may have a naive failure hanging over his head that others will point out at the first opportunity, but he's a skilled, adventurous fighter who wants to see the world, and it's because of him and his rat Kogatana that the kids aren't sucked into the pit early on in the book. Jennie regrets that he won't join the Rangers.
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* SpoiledSweet: Felicité likes to cultivate this image, though the truth is closer to RichBitch.
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%% * SpoiledSweet: Felicité likes to cultivate this image, though the truth is closer to RichBitch.
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TRS Cleanup: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1543951738020239600
. Deleting due to lack of context.
. Deleting due to lack of context.Deleted line(s) 63 (click to see context) :
* PettingZooPeople: Many Changed are part animal, some more than others (like Laura's cat paws).
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YMMV
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* AwesomeArt: The cover, depicting the walls of Las Anclas with the title built in over the gate.
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* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Yuki, albeit in large part because he's a StrangerInAStrangeLand. He renounced his princely title long ago when he gave up on returning to the ''Taka'', but people still call him a prince anyway, to his annoyance.
to:
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Yuki, albeit in large part because he's a StrangerInAStrangeLand.Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand. He renounced his princely title long ago when he gave up on returning to the ''Taka'', but people still call him a prince anyway, to his annoyance.
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* ShownTheirWork: One of the authors is a therapist specializing in PTSD treatment and Ross's trauma is realistically depicted.
to:
* ShownTheirWork: One of the authors is a therapist specializing in PTSD treatment and Ross's the characters' trauma is realistically depicted.
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* ShellshockedVeteran: The story deals a lot with PTSD, mainly regarding Ross's ordeal with the singing trees, his backstory with [[spoiler:his parents' death]], Yuki getting over being taken advantage of, [[spoiler:Ross's [[TransferableMemory seeing the memories of everyone who died in the singing tree forest, and also Jennie's guilt once Sera dies and Mia's fear when Ross almost dies himself.]]
to:
* ShellshockedVeteran: The story deals a lot with PTSD, mainly regarding Ross's ordeal with the singing trees, his backstory with [[spoiler:his parents' death]], Yuki getting over being taken advantage of, [[spoiler:Ross's [[TransferableMemory seeing the memories of everyone who died in the singing tree forest, forest]], and also Jennie's guilt once Sera dies and Mia's fear when Ross almost dies himself.]]
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* AmicableExes: Jack Lowell and Elizabeth Crow were once engaged, and while their friendship is shaky at first and no one will reveal why they broke up, they do care for each other and even show signs of rekindling interest in one naother romantically.
to:
* AmicableExes: Jack Lowell and Elizabeth Crow were once engaged, and while their friendship is shaky at first and no one will reveal why they broke up, they do care for each other and even show signs of rekindling interest in one naother another romantically.
* BloodKnight: [[spoiler:Henry Callahan]] ends up this way when he finally sees combat, finding it "exciting" and using his kill count to impress people.
* ChekhovsGunman: It's mentioned early on that [[spoiler:Grandma Wolfe was hidden away from society due to her uncontrollable Change power. She appears out of nowhere in the battle with Voske's army to assist when the Rangers and patrols are tired out.]]
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* DisappearedDad: Paco's mother, Sera, came from outside the gates and his father is unknown. Some people in town believe he may be the illegitimate son of Tom Preston, who came into town along with Sera long ago.
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* CPRCleanPrettyReliable: Mia learned CPR from her father [[spoiler:and has to use it on Ross when he faints after controlling the singing trees.]]
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: If there's one thing Voske is known for, it's putting his enemies' heads on pikes.
* DisappearedDad: Paco's mother, Sera, came from outside the gates and his father is unknown. Some people in town believe he may be the illegitimate son of Tom Preston, who came into town along with Sera long ago. [[spoiler:He's actually the son of Voske.]]
* DeadGuyOnDisplay: If there's one thing Voske is known for, it's putting his enemies' heads on pikes.
* DisappearedDad: Paco's mother, Sera, came from outside the gates and his father is unknown. Some people in town believe he may be the illegitimate son of Tom Preston, who came into town along with Sera long ago. [[spoiler:He's actually the son of Voske.]]
* EvilCounterpart: Voske's daughter, Deirdre, is one to Felicité; the daughters of important people [[spoiler:who used to work together]], very powerful themselves within their societies, but willing to push themselves and do anything to prove themselves. They're also the only two characters who call their fathers "Daddy" despite being significantly over elementary school age [[spoiler:and Deirdre's Change has the power to expose Felicité's]].
* FishPeople: [[spoiler:Felicité's Change turns her into something reminiscent of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.]]
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* ItsAllMyFault: Jennie blames herself [[spoiler:when Sera dies and Indra is gravely wounded. Felicité ''also'' blames Jennie, not helping the matter.]]
to:
* ItsAllMyFault: Ross blames himself for [[spoiler:his parents' death because he was too young to take and the family splitting up slowed them down, and he later also blames himself for putting the city in danger as they were protecting him]]. Jennie blames herself [[spoiler:when Sera dies and Indra is gravely wounded. Felicité ''also'' blames Jennie, not helping the matter.]]
* MarryThemAll: The second the LoveTriangle comes to light, the participants elect to share.
* OneBulletLeft: Averted. Characters run out of ammo all the time; even [[spoiler:Voske]] wastes his last bullet when [[spoiler:Mia throws off his aim with her flamethrower]] and he has to go back and get more, abandoning the tense confrontation.
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* PsychicLink: [[spoiler:Ross's dreams about the tree that grew from his blood result from a mental link with it. The tree calls to him and sometimes he hears or feels its ringing.]]
to:
* PsychicLink: [[spoiler:Ross's dreams about the tree that grew from his blood result from a mental link with it. The tree calls to him and sometimes he hears or feels its ringing. Once he embraces their connection, he gains the power to see what the trees see and control them.]]
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* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Yuki, albeit in large part because he's a StrangerInAStrangeLand.
to:
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Yuki, albeit in large part because he's a StrangerInAStrangeLand. He renounced his princely title long ago when he gave up on returning to the ''Taka'', but people still call him a prince anyway, to his annoyance.
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* ShellshockedVeteran: The story deals a lot with PTSD, mainly regarding Ross's ordeal with the singing trees [[spoiler:and also with Jennie once Sera dies.]]
to:
* ShellshockedVeteran: The story deals a lot with PTSD, mainly regarding Ross's ordeal with the singing trees [[spoiler:and trees, his backstory with [[spoiler:his parents' death]], Yuki getting over being taken advantage of, [[spoiler:Ross's [[TransferableMemory seeing the memories of everyone who died in the singing tree forest, and also with Jennie Jennie's guilt once Sera dies.dies and Mia's fear when Ross almost dies himself.]]
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* StrongFamilyResemblance: What tips Jennie off that [[spoiler:Paco is Voske's son.]]
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None
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* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love. She seems to be alloromantic and asexual.
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* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love. She seems to be alloromantic [[spoiler:She finds that she can only feel love and asexual.sexual attraction alike when she forms a strong emotional bond, though the word "demisexuality" is never outright mentioned in the book.]]
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* BadPowersBadPeople: [[ButNotTooBlack Colourism]] itself is gone from the setting, but "monstrous" or "dangerous" Changed people are treated worse than those with invisible and/or minor Changes.
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* DisappearedDad: Paco's mother, Sera, came from outside the gates and his father is unknown. Some people in town believe he may be the illegitimate son of Tom Preston, who came into town along with Sera long ago.
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* GetOut: [[spoiler:Felicité falls into shock when the normally kindly Dr. Lee screams this at her in the aftermath of the first round against Voske's army at the walls.]]
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* HasTwoMommies: Sheriff Crow is briefly shown with her two aging mothers.
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* IHaveNoSon: The Riley family is known to take in children whose Norm parents cast them out when they Changed.
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* InterfaceScrew: Every viewpoint character has a different font in which their chapters are presented.
* ItsAllMyFault: Jennie blames herself [[spoiler:when Sera dies and Indra is gravely wounded. Felicité ''also'' blames Jennie, not helping the matter.]]
* ItsAllMyFault: Jennie blames herself [[spoiler:when Sera dies and Indra is gravely wounded. Felicité ''also'' blames Jennie, not helping the matter.]]
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* NoOneGetsLeftBehind: The most important part of a Ranger's duty and one Jennie repeats over and over on patrol [[spoiler:and in the battle with Voske's army]].
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* ShellshockedVeteran: The story deals a lot with PTSD, mainly regarding Ross's ordeal with the singing trees [[spoiler:and also with Jennie once Sera dies.]]
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None
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* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love.
to:
* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love. She seems to be alloromantic and asexual.
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None
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* AmbiguouslyBrown: Ross, considering that his whole background is mysterious. Other characters' ethnicities are stated or implied.
to:
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Ross, considering that his whole background is mysterious. Other characters' ethnicities are stated or implied. [[spoiler:It turns out that he's Native American, though he barely remembers his own heritage because he was taken away so young.]]
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* AnimalMotifs: Most Changed are animal-like in their appearance and/or abilities, and even people who don't have animal powers tend to be named after animals (Wolfe, Crow).
to:
* AmicableExes: Jack Lowell and Elizabeth Crow were once engaged, and while their friendship is shaky at first and no one will reveal why they broke up, they do care for each other and even show signs of rekindling interest in one naother romantically.
* AnimalMotifs: Most Changed are animal-like in their appearance and/or abilities, and even people who don't have animal powers tend to be named after animals (Wolfe, Crow). The ship Yuki came from was called the ''Taka'', which means "hawk". Real animals are all over the story as well.
* AnimalMotifs: Most Changed are animal-like in their appearance and/or abilities, and even people who don't have animal powers tend to be named after animals (Wolfe, Crow). The ship Yuki came from was called the ''Taka'', which means "hawk". Real animals are all over the story as well.
* BloodyMurder: The tarantulas in this world have evolved toxic blood like eels'.
* CordonBleughChef: Dr. Lee can and will make kimchi recipes for every possible ingredient mix.
* EntitledToHaveYou: Felicité aims to steal Indra from Jennie because she thinks a Norm from a powerful family ought to be with her.
* EntitledToHaveYou: Felicité aims to steal Indra from Jennie because she thinks a Norm from a powerful family ought to be with her.
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* ForeignQueasine: Some people aren't fans of Dr. Lee's kimchi. Mia and Ross love the stuff, though.
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* FluffyTheTerrible: Princess Cloud, the UglyCute slug-looking fluffball, [[spoiler:is a living pit mouth.]]
* ForeignQueasine: Some people aren't fans of Dr. Lee's kimchi. Mia and Ross love the stuff,though.though... well, Mia loves it when it's ''normal'', anyway.
* FutureImperfect: Not much information about the past remains, as much of it was either destroyed or was recorded digitally. Tablets and e-readers are called "book-machines" and, being bricked, are treated as WorthlessYellowRocks.
* ForeignQueasine: Some people aren't fans of Dr. Lee's kimchi. Mia and Ross love the stuff,
* FutureImperfect: Not much information about the past remains, as much of it was either destroyed or was recorded digitally. Tablets and e-readers are called "book-machines" and, being bricked, are treated as WorthlessYellowRocks.
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* GetBackInTheCloset: Publishers [[http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519 tried to make the authors straight-iron Yuki]], or at least make him "closeted until a sequel, if there ever is one". Similarly, others tried censoring the book's [[MarryThemAll consensual polyamory]], "but it would be okay if (the person dating two people) was cheating and lying".
to:
* GetBackInTheCloset: Publishers and agents [[http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519 tried to make the authors straight-iron Yuki]], or at least make him "closeted until a sequel, if there ever is one". Similarly, others tried censoring the book's [[MarryThemAll consensual polyamory]], "but it would be okay if (the person dating two people) was cheating and lying".lying".
* GoBackToTheSource: [[spoiler:When Ross lets on just how tormented he is by his tree, he and Mia return to it so he can try and stop it from hurting him.]]
* HappilyAdopted: Yuki, though he still goes by his original surname and wants to get out and see the world.
* GoBackToTheSource: [[spoiler:When Ross lets on just how tormented he is by his tree, he and Mia return to it so he can try and stop it from hurting him.]]
* HappilyAdopted: Yuki, though he still goes by his original surname and wants to get out and see the world.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Dee, Jennie's sister, wants to Change because the rest of her family is Changed. [[spoiler:When she does Change, she's heartbroken because her power [[BlessedWithSuck is kind of pathetic]].]]
* LoyalAnimalCompanion: The town rats, like Yuki's Kogatana and Felicité's Wu Zetian.
* MagneticHero: [[spoiler:The bounty hunter after Ross tells the council that Ross has this as an actual superpower, in order to throw doubt into the minds of anyone who's grown to like him.]]
* MaliciousSlander: The bounty hunter after Ross tells the council [[spoiler:that Ross stole his claim and that he's Changed to manipulate people's emotions]], and rumours evolve from there -- everything from "he stole Voske's crown" to "he's hiding a map to El Dorado".
* MagneticHero: [[spoiler:The bounty hunter after Ross tells the council that Ross has this as an actual superpower, in order to throw doubt into the minds of anyone who's grown to like him.]]
* MaliciousSlander: The bounty hunter after Ross tells the council [[spoiler:that Ross stole his claim and that he's Changed to manipulate people's emotions]], and rumours evolve from there -- everything from "he stole Voske's crown" to "he's hiding a map to El Dorado".
* MeaningfulName: Yuki Nakamura's last name means "inside the village". [[SmallTownBoredom All he wants to do is leave.]] Similarly, Los Angeles was renamed Las Anclas -- "anchors" -- and everyone is stuck inside the walls because the outside is far too dangerous.
* MistakenForDog: Jennie suspects Princess Cloud is a kitten, not having actually seen the rat in question.
* MyEyesAreUpHere: Ross has to try very hard not to stare at Jennie in a tight, newly altered dress.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Ross has been wandering since he was very little and never got to go to school. Jennie teaches him to read.
* NotSoDifferent: Yuki spends much of the book at odds with Ross, but realizes that maybe they're the same [[spoiler:because they've had trouble in their past and been forced to run away from it and they're not used to having to justify themselves when everyone else wants them to.]]
* MistakenForDog: Jennie suspects Princess Cloud is a kitten, not having actually seen the rat in question.
* MyEyesAreUpHere: Ross has to try very hard not to stare at Jennie in a tight, newly altered dress.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Ross has been wandering since he was very little and never got to go to school. Jennie teaches him to read.
* NotSoDifferent: Yuki spends much of the book at odds with Ross, but realizes that maybe they're the same [[spoiler:because they've had trouble in their past and been forced to run away from it and they're not used to having to justify themselves when everyone else wants them to.]]
* ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime: Paco's mom walks in on him and Yuki, who were thankfully not doing much more than snuggling on a couch.
* ThePerfectionist: Embarrassed and outraged at his own mistakes from years ago, Yuki expects no mistakes and certainly no slacking from anybody else.
* ThePerfectionist: Embarrassed and outraged at his own mistakes from years ago, Yuki expects no mistakes and certainly no slacking from anybody else.
* PsychicLink: [[spoiler:Ross's dreams about the tree that grew from his blood result from a mental link with it. The tree calls to him and sometimes he hears or feels its ringing.]]
* SheIsAllGrownUp: [[spoiler:''Henry'' of all people, the immature bully, goes to ask Felicité to the dance and she almost gets a "no" out before realizing that he doesn't look nearly as ugly as he used to as a kid.]]
* {{Sleepwalking}}: Under the siren call of [[spoiler:his own singing tree, Ross wanders out of the town through the tunnel he discovered in the town hall.]]
* SpoiledSweet: Felicité likes to cultivate this image, though the truth is closer to RichBitch.
* TagalongKid: Dee, Nhi, and Z, the 12-13-year-old apprentice Rangers who hang around Jennie.
* SpoiledSweet: Felicité likes to cultivate this image, though the truth is closer to RichBitch.
* TagalongKid: Dee, Nhi, and Z, the 12-13-year-old apprentice Rangers who hang around Jennie.
* UglyCute: The Terrible Three pick up a mutated rat that absolutely enchants them and name her Princess Cloud. Yuki thinks it's an abomination. [[spoiler:He's right.]]
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* WhiteMaleLead: Averted. Felicité is the only white viewpoint character and the town is incredibly diverse.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his own tree.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his own tree.
to:
* WhamEpisode: When Mia overhears [[spoiler:Mr. Preston talking to the bounty hunter and the audience learns that Preston used to work for Voske]], when Ross [[spoiler:sleepwalks out of the town and learns that he has some measure of control over his tree]], when Felicité actually does something nice ''for someone else'' when the alternative would improve her own standing and throw Ross and Mia under the bus, and when it turns out that [[spoiler:Felicité is Changed to turn into [[FishPeople an amphibious creature]] when touched with water or even sweat]].
* WhiteMaleLead: Averted.Felicité is None of the only white viewpoint character characters are white and the town is incredibly diverse.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his owntree.tree.
* WrenchWench: Mia adores fixing, building, and blowing up everything she's allowed to.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: [[spoiler:Felicité, afraid of the Changed and constantly judging them like her Fantastic Racist father, is Changed herself.]]
* WhiteMaleLead: Averted.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his own
* WrenchWench: Mia adores fixing, building, and blowing up everything she's allowed to.
* YouAreWhatYouHate: [[spoiler:Felicité, afraid of the Changed and constantly judging them like her Fantastic Racist father, is Changed herself.]]
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* GetBackInTheCloset: Publishers [[http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519 tried to make the authors straight-iron Yuki]], or at least make him "closeted until a sequel, if there ever is one".
to:
* GetBackInTheCloset: Publishers [[http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519 tried to make the authors straight-iron Yuki]], or at least make him "closeted until a sequel, if there ever is one". Similarly, others tried censoring the book's [[MarryThemAll consensual polyamory]], "but it would be okay if (the person dating two people) was cheating and lying".
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* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Yuki, albeit in large part because he's a StrangerInAStrangeLand.
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* TokenMinority: Jennie feels like this with the Rangers because she's Changed, but explicitly ''not'' because she's black.
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None
Added DiffLines:
* GetBackInTheCloset: Publishers [[http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/genreville/?p=1519 tried to make the authors straight-iron Yuki]], or at least make him "closeted until a sequel, if there ever is one".
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Added DiffLines:
->"In a town under pressure, it takes only one person to change everything..."
A 2014 novel by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith. The book centres around a futuristic WeirdWest town and five young adults who inhabit it as they carve out their own lives amidst grown-up politics and the ever-present threat of a self-proclaimed king who's taking over [[DividedStatesOfAmerica the western USA.]]
Each of the five viewpoint characters brings a different perspective and something new into the town and it's not uncommon for them all to end up at odds, developing the story. It opens with '''Ross''', the titular stranger outside the walled city, who makes a daring escape from one of King Voske's bounty hunters after running away with a mysterious book written entirely in Japanese, even though he [[NeverLearnedToRead can't even read English]]. He's brought into the city and taken in by '''Mia''', the youngest mechanic in the town's history, a certified genius but questioning who she really is. Rounding out the five are '''Yuki''', a prince from far away who wants to return or at least adventure away from Las Anclas, '''Jennie''', a young teacher and apprentice Ranger who balances work worries with relationship problems, and '''Felicité''', the ambitious daughter of two of the most powerful people in the town.
The early struggle in the book is over whether Ross should be allowed to stay in the town and whether he even wants to, and halfway through the book, Voske's hunters show up and threaten his new life and how the whole town had dealt with life up until then...
----
!!This book contains examples of:
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Ross, considering that his whole background is mysterious. Other characters' ethnicities are stated or implied.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Felicité is by far the least sympathetic viewpoint character. Her ambition to repeat her parents' success encompasses her whole life and just about everything she does is a calculated move to make everybody love her and believe what she has to say.
* AnimalMotifs: Most Changed are animal-like in their appearance and/or abilities, and even people who don't have animal powers tend to be named after animals (Wolfe, Crow).
* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love.
* AwesomeArt: The cover, depicting the walls of Las Anclas with the title built in over the gate.
* BadassGay: Yuki may be a prince and he may have a naive failure hanging over his head that others will point out at the first opportunity, but he's a skilled, adventurous fighter who wants to see the world, and it's because of him and his rat Kogatana that the kids aren't sucked into the pit early on in the book. Jennie regrets that he won't join the Rangers.
* BodyHorror: Sheriff Crow has a skull for a face.
* FantasticRacism: Norms, people who haven't mutated and gained powers and/or appearance changes, versus Changed, those who have.
* FantasticSlur: "Mutant" and "monster" are used that way towards Changed people.
* ForeignQueasine: Some people aren't fans of Dr. Lee's kimchi. Mia and Ross love the stuff, though.
* GayCowboy: A number of them, since it's a Western (in a manner of speaking).
* HealingFactor: Dr. Lee's Change is to accelerate other people's healing processes.
* InstantMessengerPigeon: The trained rats in Las Anclas are directed to, among other things, carry messages. The speed is justified as the setting is a small walled town and they rarely go outside for anything, much less carrying letters.
* LittleBitBeastly: Some Changed people only have a few animal features.
* ManEatingPlant: The vines on the city's outside walls and, of course, the singing trees.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted. When Ross gets shot by a bounty hunter and is subsequently grazed in the arm by a singing tree, he loses the use of his arm.
* PettingZooPeople: Many Changed are part animal, some more than others (like Laura's cat paws).
* RichBitch: Felicité is rich, powerful, and always plotting to stay that way, whether it be by making everybody like her, secretly tracking the Council's movements, or even just trying to steal someone's boyfriend.
* ScrewTheWarWerePartying: Felicité comes off like this sometimes to the townspeople, but like they're complaining. In truth, she throws parties whenever there's a good excuse in order to remind others of her own social standing.
* ShownTheirWork: One of the authors is a therapist specializing in PTSD treatment and Ross's trauma is realistically depicted.
* WeirdWest: It's a futuristic Western novel. Magnetic pole shifts bricked all the electronics in the world and society as it was degraded. Plants, animals, and people all began to mutate, from carnivorous roses to crystal trees to people with animal parts.
* WhiteMaleLead: Averted. Felicité is the only white viewpoint character and the town is incredibly diverse.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his own tree.
A 2014 novel by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith. The book centres around a futuristic WeirdWest town and five young adults who inhabit it as they carve out their own lives amidst grown-up politics and the ever-present threat of a self-proclaimed king who's taking over [[DividedStatesOfAmerica the western USA.]]
Each of the five viewpoint characters brings a different perspective and something new into the town and it's not uncommon for them all to end up at odds, developing the story. It opens with '''Ross''', the titular stranger outside the walled city, who makes a daring escape from one of King Voske's bounty hunters after running away with a mysterious book written entirely in Japanese, even though he [[NeverLearnedToRead can't even read English]]. He's brought into the city and taken in by '''Mia''', the youngest mechanic in the town's history, a certified genius but questioning who she really is. Rounding out the five are '''Yuki''', a prince from far away who wants to return or at least adventure away from Las Anclas, '''Jennie''', a young teacher and apprentice Ranger who balances work worries with relationship problems, and '''Felicité''', the ambitious daughter of two of the most powerful people in the town.
The early struggle in the book is over whether Ross should be allowed to stay in the town and whether he even wants to, and halfway through the book, Voske's hunters show up and threaten his new life and how the whole town had dealt with life up until then...
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!!This book contains examples of:
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Ross, considering that his whole background is mysterious. Other characters' ethnicities are stated or implied.
* AmbitionIsEvil: Felicité is by far the least sympathetic viewpoint character. Her ambition to repeat her parents' success encompasses her whole life and just about everything she does is a calculated move to make everybody love her and believe what she has to say.
* AnimalMotifs: Most Changed are animal-like in their appearance and/or abilities, and even people who don't have animal powers tend to be named after animals (Wolfe, Crow).
* {{Asexuality}}: Mia struggles with thinking she's broken because she doesn't feel sexual attraction and wonders if she will, or can, fall in love.
* AwesomeArt: The cover, depicting the walls of Las Anclas with the title built in over the gate.
* BadassGay: Yuki may be a prince and he may have a naive failure hanging over his head that others will point out at the first opportunity, but he's a skilled, adventurous fighter who wants to see the world, and it's because of him and his rat Kogatana that the kids aren't sucked into the pit early on in the book. Jennie regrets that he won't join the Rangers.
* BodyHorror: Sheriff Crow has a skull for a face.
* FantasticRacism: Norms, people who haven't mutated and gained powers and/or appearance changes, versus Changed, those who have.
* FantasticSlur: "Mutant" and "monster" are used that way towards Changed people.
* ForeignQueasine: Some people aren't fans of Dr. Lee's kimchi. Mia and Ross love the stuff, though.
* GayCowboy: A number of them, since it's a Western (in a manner of speaking).
* HealingFactor: Dr. Lee's Change is to accelerate other people's healing processes.
* InstantMessengerPigeon: The trained rats in Las Anclas are directed to, among other things, carry messages. The speed is justified as the setting is a small walled town and they rarely go outside for anything, much less carrying letters.
* LittleBitBeastly: Some Changed people only have a few animal features.
* ManEatingPlant: The vines on the city's outside walls and, of course, the singing trees.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Averted. When Ross gets shot by a bounty hunter and is subsequently grazed in the arm by a singing tree, he loses the use of his arm.
* PettingZooPeople: Many Changed are part animal, some more than others (like Laura's cat paws).
* RichBitch: Felicité is rich, powerful, and always plotting to stay that way, whether it be by making everybody like her, secretly tracking the Council's movements, or even just trying to steal someone's boyfriend.
* ScrewTheWarWerePartying: Felicité comes off like this sometimes to the townspeople, but like they're complaining. In truth, she throws parties whenever there's a good excuse in order to remind others of her own social standing.
* ShownTheirWork: One of the authors is a therapist specializing in PTSD treatment and Ross's trauma is realistically depicted.
* WeirdWest: It's a futuristic Western novel. Magnetic pole shifts bricked all the electronics in the world and society as it was degraded. Plants, animals, and people all began to mutate, from carnivorous roses to crystal trees to people with animal parts.
* WhiteMaleLead: Averted. Felicité is the only white viewpoint character and the town is incredibly diverse.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Ross is traumatized after his encounter with the singing tree forest and freezes up when he sees his own tree.
