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emilyvictoria_'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Blood
felishacb'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Drug use
Minor: Bullying and Suicidal thoughts
_meganrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: War and Cancer
jjmydude'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
4.25
Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
chantelsorae'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
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Blood
rachellen'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
Admittedly I had watched the show multiple times before reading the book today, so I’d lacked the urgency to actually read it. I am so very glad I have now.
The show does follow the book but I found it so much more emotional as a whole to read the words said between Connell and Marianne. Particularly, when Marianne says ‘most people go through their whole lives, Marianne thought, without ever really feeling that close to anyone’. Also - ‘Marianne, he said, I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.’
The reason as to why I love this story, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it or the writing, is because it is flawed. The characters are flawed through and through, constantly making their lives difficult because of the intrusion of their desires and emotions and hate. This is what it means to be a sentient human being. That is why I love this story.
I found the power play between the two characters incredibly multifaceted, it evolved constantly. Marianne belongs to a different social class with more money and her mother is her family’s cleaner which in turn funds Connell’s family home. Yet neither have fathers, they are not present or deceased, when they meet. On the other hand, Connell has power over Marianne, particularly in their school relationship, as Marianne is incredibly vulnerable and abused at home leading to insecurities where she is wanting to please Connell to (possibly) make him stay (the secret relationship, university conversations and so on). In school, Connell is popular, Marianne is not. In university, Marianne is popular and even gets Connell a job so he can pay rent, whilst Connell is not popular and works jobs. Marianne has a paid for flat with her own room and so on, Connell works to pay for a shared room in a house. When Marianne leaves home, she relies on Connell and his family, and is no longer wealthy, so they also both become equal (?) financially after they win scholarships, possibly bending more to Connell’s favour as he worked. The power play constantly changes, I believe it balances out in the end, yet the ending infers that there are more power imbalances/balances to occur.
When I found myself on the final page I felt panicked at Marianne’s coolness, particularly after a bicker between them, but when she ends with saying ‘I’ll always be here. You know that.’ - it was probably the most devoted, unprompted, purest thing that Marianne says to Connell in the entire book. It is a pledge.
I could go on for days. But I won’t bore readers of this review any longer.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Blood
pau0704'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
4.5
Loved the writing style of the author. Now I get why this book is this famous.
Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Mental illness, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
harper11'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: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Bullying, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism
mangofraiche'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
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Suicide
mandycantsleep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Vomit