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rose34's review
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual content, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail
raptorq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Blood, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality
a_cera_t0ps'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
In alternating perspectives, our cast grows and shrinks.
The characters are well written. The book shows many of the different arguments/reasoning/stories without drowning out plot A or disrupting the collective pace of the story. The characters feel like real people, with real connections. While there is a crush and romantic connection, it never once cuts into the action. It only presents itself as a motive: a catalyst for an even and consistent amount of the story. The ending is realistic while still having a satisfying conclusion.
The Shusterman authors worked to gether to create a compelling dystopian story much in the same way George Orwell worked time and time to do. They wrote the book with a message. However, instead of creating an atmosphere of hopelessness, the Shustermans help to build a future, to show the fall out of if and when disaster passes. They don't water down (ha) the message, the importance, or the level of disaster, but they leave the reader with an enjoyable story. It's believable, even if extreme in nature.
Graphic: Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Car accident, Child death, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and War
zoejjj'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? No
2.5
There are things good about this book. I liked that the kids had to face decisions that made them “monsters” and how they dealt with that. I like the way stories interconnected. I like that the drought brought out the actual core of people making the good even better, pushing them to make the right choice.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Child death
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Violence
oliverreeds'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: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Child death, Classism, and Gore
kaidoz'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
4.75
Edit: I’ve realized a few things I’ve missed. There were a few points in the book where characters mentioned how bad communism was which I thought was so strange. It seemed forced and like a political statement when no one even asked for it. Also, the reason I stated that the cast of characters being diverse was complicated is because their personalities are diverse, but they really aren’t. The main girl and her brother are of unidentified origin for like half of the book, and they end up being like, a quarter Jamaican and the rest European. Another female character is also very light-skinned but I honestly couldn’t tell you what she is because it was so forgettable. I think Greek? Roman? The rest were completely white. Also I believe there was a singular mention of one of the male characters not liking men, but other than that gay people didn’t exist. No POC or LGBT people in California? This truly is a fiction novel. Anyways, I still thought the story was great, so I’m not changing my review or anything.
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Trafficking
I will be giving more detail on some of the warnings while withholding as many spoilers as I can. I’ll label them. Car accident (very minor spoilers):