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bronzeageholly's review against another edition
4.75
For those who know David Copperfield, it is a close enough interpretation to make you go "oh no! I know where this is going! stop the ride!" at least once a chapter. But, in saying that, it is also a very unique concept, an incredible tale of the care system and opioid crisis in the US.
Each character was so well fleshed out, in particular Demon; his narratorial voice was so strong, moving, and hilarious. His thoughtfulness, his anger, his empathy are heartbreaking. The accounts of each of the characters moved me to tears many times; I wanted desperately to reach into the pages and swoop Demon and the others away to safety.
I found the pacing quite difficult to get into and had to swap from the physical book to an audiobook around 1/5 of the way in. The lack of abstraction throughout meant that when there were descriptions of intense suffering my reading quickened ("I need to keep going to make sure they're okay"), and then would slow dramatically during the 'bildungsroman' areas. Because of this I had an on-again-off-again relationship with the book, however the audiobook helped immensely and I found myself unable to put it down for the last few hours.
The central themes of addiction, judgement, loss, and love are devastating and important, and I would implore every adult to read it. There are so many lines that I will hold with me forever.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Bullying, and Kidnapping
soyboysimon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I won't say that it was easy to read(it took me a month), but it was definitely fun to read. Who cares about sentences making sense and following grammar rules? Not Demon.
Great book! Hits some hard topics but in a way that shines light on the problems and makes me feel more knowledgable about them. My takeaway from it is that no matter where life starts you out, there are always choices to be made and consequences to be had. Maybe sins are most of the time passed down from the generations, but maybe they don't have to be. The cycle can be broken. Ain't no hill for a climber.
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Excrement, Vomit, Animal death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide, Stalking, and Car accident
am4man's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Drug use, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Grief, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Abortion and Homophobia
abscott's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Death, Cursing, Bullying, Violence, Physical abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Sexual violence, Racism, Self harm, Trafficking, Abortion, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Medical content, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Grief, and Gun violence