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tracy89'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
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Racism
victoriaashade's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Hate crime and Suicide
Moderate: Racism, Death, and Child abuse
cfarron'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
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Cursing, Slavery, and Suicide
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, and Bullying
cassandra_grace'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? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Racism, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Vomit
writingcaia'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? It's complicated
4.5
This is a beautiful book, with amazing characters, harsh realities and truths, and a lot of love.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
amandag's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Mental illness
inkysplodge'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Abandonment and Fatphobia
Minor: Ableism
midnightmarauder'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
4.5
The story follows Lily Owens, a fourteen-year-old girl living in South Carolina in 1964. She lives with her abusive father, T. Ray, who is a constant ticking time bomb, and Rosaleen, a black woman who works as a maid in the Owens household and has been a motherly figure to Lily for as long as she can remember.
Lily's mother died when she was four, the specifics of which are hazy in her memory. She holds on to the few belongings that her mother left behind, and, after a difficult night with T. Ray, she flees her house, eventually ending up in the care of the Boatwright sisters.
What I liked about this book was the fact that Lily got a happy ending. One of my favorite tropes is the found family trope, and both the book and movie fulfilled it. Lily knew she would never truly be happy if she stayed with T. Ray, so even though her running away could've ended badly, I'm glad she decided to leave. She always had a family waiting for her in the pink house and it just took her some time to find them.
I watched the movie way before I read the book, so I have a softer spot for the film adaptation. The characters really come to life on screen, and each actress that played the Boatwright sisters (Queen Latifah as August, Alicia Keys as June, and Sophie Okonedo as May) did an amazing job in their roles.
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Abandonment, Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Bullying
sauvageloup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
pacing felt a little slow in a couple of places but that was part of the charm.
loved the mix of depicting the time periods racism, lily dealing with the loss of her mother, the goings on with August, may and June, and the beautiful descriptions of them and the surroundings and the bees.
Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Vomit, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Racism, Emotional abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment
laurajenkins'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: Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Hate crime, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Police brutality