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crimsonash606's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Drug use, Murder, Infertility, Alcohol, Child abuse, Addiction, Death, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Dementia and Classism
shawniejo's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Racism and Classism
luna_98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, and Deadnaming
Minor: Gun violence, Infertility, Car accident, and Classism
carlaa_aa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
rochelleisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Car accident, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Gun violence, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Grief, Classism, Drug use, Stalking, and Drug abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Infertility
stormeno'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
4.0
Graphic: Car accident and Addiction
Moderate: Grief, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Classism, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping
kathywoo10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking, Infertility, Classism, Blood, Deadnaming, Dementia, Kidnapping, Racism, and Transphobia
venusmage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
An additional nitpick is regarding the book’s art. This is coming from someone with a degree in the fine arts, so this may not bother the average reader, but it’s still worth mentioning. A big gimmick with this book is that it features many illustrations at the heart of the story’s mystery. Some childlike, others more mature and artistic. I think the childlike drawings serve their purpose fine enough while also being a little forgettable. The “better” drawings, though, took me out of the book’s world several times. In the book’s afterward the author interviewed the two artists. The more complex drawings are supposed to evoke a mixed media collage kind of feel - almost abstract (they specifically reference the astoundingly talented illustrator Dave McKean as inspiration) - but ultimately they look like amateur photoshop paint overs. They come off cheap and rushed rather than having an intentional artistic direction. From what little I read it seems the second artist is usually more of a designer and cover artist than an illustrator, and it unfortunately showed through here. His work on the cover looks great, but the interior art was so low quality I first mistook it as being done by a non-professional.
In the end, I’m sad to say the additional art in the book is a fun idea that really doesn’t add anything. The story isn’t enough to make the pictures feel like anything more than padding. I almost wonder if it would’ve been better if the author was forced to describe the artwork instead of showing it, to let the audience conjure something in their minds; but the book doesn’t have a lot of descriptive language that stands out enough for me to believe it would have worked, either.
Graphic: Murder, Drug abuse, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism
kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Deadnaming, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Stalking, Torture, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Outing
annahamburger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Drug use, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Classism
Minor: Confinement, Dysphoria, Infertility, Transphobia, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Cursing, Dementia, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Blood, and Infidelity