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spooky_coochie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Suicide
Moderate: Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Grief, Classism, Ableism, and Violence
dustghosts'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 structure: a series of vignettes, each from a different main character, and repeated in parts, is really interesting and admirable from a writing point of view. The loneliness that sets each of these characters apart also strings them together in a way that’s hopeful, strange, sorrowful, frustrating. The selfishness of that loneliness, and the way that it prevents each of the characters from recognizing it in each other, I found heartbreaking at times. Very accessible writing, even today, and again— the empathy and real feeling imbued into each character shines.
I had to take long breaks in-between reads, here, but I think that’s more to do with seasonal garbáge than anything. It weighs heavy to read a book where the characters’ troubles and gripes still reverberate today, and especially when you’re so close to each of these characters. A theme of futility vs optimism (“what is it all for?”) plagues character and reader alike. I think I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time, and I wish I had more folks to talk about it with!!!
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Racism, Suicide, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Hate crime, Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Ableism
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Violence
crizzle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Torture, Alcohol, Gun violence, Grief, and Addiction
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Ableism, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization
elphaba105's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Police brutality, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Death, Racism, and Ableism
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence and Sexual content