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spcandybars'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: Mental illness, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Moderate: Drug abuse and Police brutality
Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
storykath'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
This book tackles a lot; there's commentary on mental health, addiction, the nature of stories, politics, and society as a whole. It was an effort to continually wade through them all, but the switches in POVs were effective for keeping things balanced.
There's also a lot of nuance and ambiguity in this book, and I think it was handled incredibly well. We hear the subjective thoughts and feelings of characters with mental illnesses and addictions, and we can see how easy it is for them to fall into deluded or dangerous ways of thinking. At times I was totally immersed in each character's perspective, and at other times I could approach it more objectively and see the truths that they were missing. To handle this type of writing so sensitively and faithfully is really a feat.
I don't think I would read this book again, as a lot of the philosophy was too nebulous for my tastes, but I would recommend it to anyone looking for an absurd yet bracingly real story of struggle and survival.
Definitely check content warnings before diving in.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
prettycloud'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
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Classism
This book has a lot of heavy content but it does not stay in its dark parts long and its overall tone is hopeful. It never lingers on lurid details, and the narrators tend to talk around what's happening/has happened. Both the mother and son are traumatized and both have traumatic interactions with institutions of the state, and sheukki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Medical content
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Police brutality
odyssia'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
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Physical abuse and Mass/school shootings
orianaa'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Ableism and Fatphobia
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Violence, and Police brutality
nikkkimarrry'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Grief and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Police brutality