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lambchop12'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? Yes
4.5
Made me the most emotional: “The Lion and the Spider” - I have a rough, weird relationship with my emotionally distant father who has left my family on multiple occasions so this story almost broke me, but also left me hopeful for a better future.
Left me in the most awe: “The Hospital Where” - I love me some good surrealism, okay? And this was just straight up “what’s going on” madness in a good way.
Had me thinking “oh jesus” the most times: “Through the Flash” - very very dark. Worth reading, but it was a smart move to put it at the end because by the time you finish it, you’ll feel a certain amount of emotional exhaustion from just thinking about the trauma the Flash and the following events have had on people. Also another one where the father/child relationship made me emotional.
Made me the maddest at society: “The Finkelstein 5” and “Zimmer Land” - I won’t spoil these, just know that they deal with racism and the unfair deaths of Black people (especially children). Heavy subject matter but meaningful.
Had me the most confused: “Lark Street” - this was the one story I disliked because I couldn’t tell if it was pro-choice or pro-forced birth lol. Interesting premise though.
The rest of the stories are interesting, I just don’t have much to say about them. Very good collection. 9/10.
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Abortion, Child death, Mass/school shootings, and Hate crime
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
jessthanthree'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Abortion, Police brutality, Death, Violence, Racism, Ableism, Suicide, Hate crime, Murder, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Medical content
Minor: Racial slurs
sarah984's review against another edition
3.5
Favourites: Through the Flash, Zimmer Land, Friday Black, The Finkelstein Five
Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Child death, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Self harm, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Ableism, Abortion, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide
Minor: Classism, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cannibalism, and Child abuse
j_m_alexander'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child death, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Death, Physical abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gun violence, and Racism
bay22's review against another edition
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Medical content, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Police brutality, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Addiction, and Child abuse
Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
tey_lynn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Suicide, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, and Violence
emory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Abortion, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Gun violence
mackinseyjoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Murder, Child death, and Racism
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Racism, Physical abuse, Abortion, Body horror, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Murder, Violence, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Child death, Death, Cursing, Gun violence, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Body shaming, Medical content, Blood, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Ableism, Abandonment, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Rape
Minor: Misogyny, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Vomit, Cancer, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
Lynching, colourism, loss of a loved one (including a child), eugenics, menstruation, trampling, sick parent, homophobic slur, nuclear bombingbooksthatburn'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
4.5
Some of them have not literally happened but feel like they could if reality got just a little bit worse (or, more awfully, like they’re already here). Others are more speculative, requiring some shift in reality in order to be plausible, or being altogether impossible. In all of them, the relevant social and existential rules are deftly conveyed to build tiny pockets of a different space, in which a story is told that believes its own premise unabashedly and wholeheartedly.
Three of the stories have a shared underlying reality, but I’m not certain whether the others are meant to be connected with them or not. None of the premises are mutually exclusive, but a few would definitely be oddly paired if they canonically coexist. My favorites are “Zimmer Land” (for the way it shows the precarious position of a marginalized employee in a job which objectifies his existence even as it exploits his identity), Friday Black” (for making shopping feel like a zombie story), and “Through the Flash” (for unflinchingly capturing the potential and inevitability of brutality in a certain kind of time loop).
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Gore, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Abortion