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charliereadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
CW: mention of homophobia, death (of loved ones), bullying, mention of infertility
I read this for a class at uni and must admit, I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. Generally, I liked the book, especially because of all the questions it raised. Admittedly, it made me want to continue reading if only to find out what Madame's Gallery was all about and what Hailsham was actually all about. But I never found myself truly loving what I was reading, probably also because it read a lot like literary fiction to me and that just isn't my genre. I feel like over the course of the entire book nothing happened but still, enough was going on (and you know, the incentive of having to write an exam about this) to keep me going.
While reading I was trying to piece together what was going on and it came together in a painstakingly slow way. And all the while, there is still so much to think about regarding Kathy, Ruth and Tommy's (as well as their fellow students) experiences at Hailsham, that entire enterprise of the school and their fates after they left.
I think it's hard to talk about the full scope of this story without giving anything away and as usual I'm highly anticipating the discussion about it in class.
Moderate: Bullying and Death
Minor: Homophobia and Infertility
modrinkscoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Bullying
Moderate: Infertility
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I usually like literary fiction with speculative elements, but I was really bored here. I liked the school setting at the beginning, and I was intrigued by the premise (never surprised, though. I think this was all obvious and predictable) and some details and questions. But I really didn't like the characters, their toxic friendships and relationships, their boring everyday problems when there was such a huge thing looming over everything. The writing style was fitting but didn't contribute much to my enjoyment of the book, same as the bleak and depressing atmosphere.
I'm really glad I read it, though, and I'm still interested in the author's other works.
Graphic: Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Medical content, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Infertility and Grief
jestro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content
elisabeth_with_an_ess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
This device makes you really feel that you are one of Kathy's friends, or maybe just a chance acquaintance, or perhaps one of her donors who has been asking for stories of Hailsham.
All in all, this is a devastating book, will make you ponder all the things that bind us together as humans.
Graphic: Slavery, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Cancer
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Bullying and Infertility
Minor: Homophobia
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story follows Kathy as she reflects on her life and relationships at the Hailsham boarding school. In this ultimate universe, people like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are lumped in these 'schools' as they were created with one purpose in mind — to be organ donors.
I'd call this light sci-fi, which I do like, I just found the pacing to be too slow (a similar issue I had with The Remains of the Day). There was also a glaring lack of world-building. Without a lot of context, I struggled to connect to the characters and the universe.
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, and Bullying
katkatniss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Infertility and Bullying
jabberwalky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Homophobia, Infertility, and Toxic friendship
berodatheelf'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
Moderate: Medical content, Bullying, Sexual content, and Medical trauma