Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - Ask Again, Yes

God. I think I'm still reeling from this book. It's a slow slow burn, and there were times when it hurt so much to read that I wanted to give up. It's devastating and honest and brutal and unforgiving. But equally, it was so beautiful. So bloody beautiful. I never want to read it again, and I am so so glad I persevered to the end. This is an exquisite thing.

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wayamom8's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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encryptedorchardpest's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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saramoser's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

TW: abuse, gun violence, mental illness, infidelity, alcoholism

This book was sad, not like I cried the entire book, just like a real life sadness that is hard to explain. The characters are genuine, real. I could feel the characters emotions, I could feel the emotions of the book so strongly. I was sad when the characters were, I could imagine the events happening in the book, happening to someone I know, a friend, a family member. The exploration of early childhood trauma, generational trauma, the faults of parents and how it forms their children, it was done perfectly in this book.

The story spanned 40+ years, and explored multiple view points and generations experiencing similar and different events. The story shows perfectly how certain things can form and shape who you become, and how just because you were formed and shaped that way doesn’t mean you aren’t able to change.

This will be a book I recommend to friends.

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wquindley's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I’m a sucker for books that follow families across long periods of time. even more so when things are complicated. i find that it gives me more time to connect with the characters and grow attached to them. for the most part, this book was no different. the storyline was really interesting and i was fascinated by the relationship between the two families. however, the events were a little more intense and darker than i anticipated and for the first time in a while i contemplated if what i was reading was too heavy. mary beth keene does a great job of portraying characters as real and flawed and as impressive and moving as i found it to be, it was challenging at times given how broken everything felt.

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