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gotnoculture's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, Hate crime, Violence, Murder, Torture, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, Grief, and Addiction
Minor: Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Abandonment
tigerkind's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Confinement, Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Bullying, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Rape, Medical content, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Slavery, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Excrement
amariela02'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Medical content, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
mmwiseheart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
I read this for book group and was forewarned that I needed to start reading it earlier than I normally would because I’d need to take breaks from the heaviness of it. And that turned out to be the case. The only other book I’ve read that I remember having to put down and come back to this much was John Hersey’s Hiroshima.
I recommend this to everyone. It’s a lot to handle, but it’s so important. It’s important to know about and learn to recognize the injustices that have happened, and are still happening, in our country so that we can affect change.
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Child death, Bullying, Confinement, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery
babieyunie'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: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Bullying, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment
mblanke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, and Homophobia
bookcaptivated'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
emakay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
nibs's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was painful to read, but I knew that going in. It is so well-crafted - it could be twice the length if it wanted to be, there are so many stories to tell and the characters are so fleshed out - but condensing it makes it pack more of a punch. Elwood's fierce hope in people and justice is so relatable and powerful, with the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jnr echoing through his head. But we also relate to Turner's lack of trust in anyone, since when the world is against you that seems to be the safest option.
In the end, powerful people exert their power on vulnerable people, and they either don't realise, don't care or relish in it. And that is still very much happening today. American segregation is gone, but racism and the systemic echoes of it still exist.
When I first started reading it, I was so upset by the injustice of the whole situation. But as I got engrossed in the book, it switched to more directly empathising with the characters and their immediate emotions, which hits you in a different way.
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body horror