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lljzmc's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
TINS is an epistolary novel that tells the story of Casey, a girl grieving the loss of her twin to opioids and struggling with substance abuse herself, even as she grapples with her growing attraction to two very different people. Casey is fat--and has mostly made peace with that--and is coming to realize that she is bi, and in this story she finds a way to create the life she needs for herself.
Grieving with her are the twins' 2 best friends--who are also Casey's love interests--and Casey's loving family.
Casey's letters to her dead brother are sad, loving, frightened, humorous, angry and resigned, sometimes all at once. Reading them, we're immersed in the overwhelming angst, drama, change, beauty and pain of coming of age and facing issues that would be tough at any age.
If there is a weak spot to this book, it is that in a few places the epistolary format makes it difficult for the author to gracefully get across to the reader information and back story that Casey wouldn't really need to explain to her brother (because he would already know). But this difficulty only makes an appearance a few times and doesn't ruin what is a very moving story.
Grieving with her are the twins' 2 best friends--who are also Casey's love interests--and Casey's loving family.
Casey's letters to her dead brother are sad, loving, frightened, humorous, angry and resigned, sometimes all at once. Reading them, we're immersed in the overwhelming angst, drama, change, beauty and pain of coming of age and facing issues that would be tough at any age.
If there is a weak spot to this book, it is that in a few places the epistolary format makes it difficult for the author to gracefully get across to the reader information and back story that Casey wouldn't really need to explain to her brother (because he would already know). But this difficulty only makes an appearance a few times and doesn't ruin what is a very moving story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
There are hints that the main character is fat and has struggled with body-self acceptance in the past, but she seems mostly body positive now.