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darlingbard'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: Classism, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
Moderate: Murder and Child abuse
Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent
mororke'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
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Bullying, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
ammr8973'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, Violence, Drug use, Death, Alcohol, Mental illness, Gun violence, Grief, Bullying, and Classism
reclusivebookslug'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
4.0
This novel encompasses for me the potential of the YA genre. Reading it again now as a college student with much more reading experience under my belt, it seems to me that this was a necessary predecessor to some of my other favorite YA novels (The Perks of Being a Wallflower in particular comes to mind). Coming-of-age stories are so important for people of all ages -- themes of self-discovery, learning to navigate the world around you, finding a place to belong, value formation, learning to empathize with people different from yourself, and dealing with new and difficult experiences will always be relevant.
I recently saw a clip of YA author John Green addressing criticism that real teenagers are not as well-spoken as those in his books. His response was that reflecting their internal sense of self and emotional reality was more important than being strictly realistic. Young people do not see themselves the way adults might. Their hopes and worries are real and important to them, no matter how trivial other people (i.e. unempathetic, out-of-touch adults) might think their problems and accomplishments are. I find this sentiment applicable to a lot of great YA fiction, including this book, which has also been accused of being unrealistic and melodramatic.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Police brutality, Death of parent, Violence, and Grief
melodyseestrees'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Classism, Bullying, Blood, Alcohol, Medical content, Hate crime, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent and Violence
katsusho_'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Violence
shayna_hadassah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Drug use, and Child death
Moderate: Blood, Classism, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
annalovesbookss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Classism, Child death, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
anastasiamakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Classism, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
g4bby'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: Child death, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail