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abigalelouise12'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Rape
hawksquill's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
shottel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The writing style is immaculate as well, with perfect balance and flow and a dry sense of sarcasm. The presentation choices (font, spacing, etc.) present this book like great work of literature, like a fancy looking Bible, and it manages to earn these dressings. The plot is well-paced, with just the right amount of twists and turns. I couldn’t suggest a single phrasing or word choice or paragraph restructuring that I feel would be better.
The sole reason this is not a 5/5 review is that for all its excellence in depicting numerous different ethnic groups and people of different ages and abilities, the identity of the author as a straight man comes through. It’s the sole mark against the book’s virtual universality, an impressive feat given it’s situated very firmly in interwar-period Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, the repeated references to women’s breasts and buttocks and the greater priority men have in the story, among other things, was hard for me to miss.
Nevertheless, this book is still very close to a must-read. If you can manage the lengthy list of heavy topics the book covers (it pulls absolutely no punches with regards to the difficulties of life) and you think you even might possibly be interested in the setting and style, it’s worth your time.
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Excrement, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Hate crime
Minor: Colonisation, Medical content, Classism, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Slavery
wackydopamine'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
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, and Child abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Hate crime, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Mental illness, and Excrement
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Excrement, Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Child death, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Stalking, Grief, Cursing, and Outing
Moderate: Mental illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Minor: War and Slavery
lindseyph'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
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Death, Racism, and Sexual harassment
jade_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Grief, and Medical trauma
jasper_a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
this was a book club book.. if it weren't, i do believe i would have dropped it some 60 or so pages into the book.
objectively, the writing is very good; long-winded, winding, repetitive, sure but good.
there were many characters, many voices, many dialects and accents and languages (which is a hard sell imo, and were it not for the lovely narrator, Dominic Hoffman, i would have really struggled to get through it).
personally, i didn't enjoy how cyclical the vignettes were. events/incidents were referenced or recounted from multiple character's POVs, which to me were less insightful and more droning. i kept wanting the story to progress but the author wanted to hammer home how everyone felt about everything.
and honestly i would have given the book a passing grade if it weren't for the abrupt ending. i didn't hate how things were resolved but w/r/t the author's cadence, i feel that the ending was rushed out the door lest it miss its train.
it might be a short book club meeting tomorrow.
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Rape, and Physical abuse
Minor: Mental illness and Xenophobia
amandalachelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Excrement, Hate crime, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Racism, Murder, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, and Religious bigotry
mysteryspouse'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
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Ableism, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Body horror, Sexism, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Confinement, Rape, Colonisation, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Cursing, Sexual violence, Medical content, Racism, Xenophobia, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Grief, Excrement, Mental illness, Police brutality, Death of parent, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility and Slavery