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ryleee'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
3.75
I feel like some readers may think that Lily is written in an unrealistic way for a 14-year-old girl, and that may be true. Certainly in parts she displays a lot of maturity and insight that probably isn’t typical for a teenager, even one with her background. But I prefer young characters to be written in this way. I think it helps us as adults to go back and think about why we had a lot of those feelings as teenagers, and helps us to connect with younger characters. This is a fine line and even at some points in this book I found myself distracted by Lily’s self-reflection. For the book club - I feel like Lola and Lily are two sides of the same coin. Lola was extremely self-assured but lacked insight, whereas Lily spends a lot of the time feeling confused or wrong, but probably thinks a little too much about it. Both girls are discovering their identity and both of them are on the run!
I think the story did get lost/stuck in a few places. The third quarter of the book felt a bit stagnant, and there were a few little sub-plots that were good to read but I feel they could’ve been woven into the overall story a little better
As for the ending, I do wish it was a little clearer why T Ray was the way he was. I suppose that the author wanted us to infer or project onto him, but as a character that I couldn’t really relate to, I didn’t know whether to feel sorry for him or just dislike him. But out of caution I think I’ll dislike him.
2001 seems like not that long ago but it was certainly a different time for literature! Despite potentially being historically accurate, I did find the slurs quite jarring, so thankfully there wasn’t too many. The themes of racism and segregation would probably be challenging for POC to read.
Overall, I thought this was a good read. I would recommend it to people looking for a good story, set in an interesting time and place, that isn’t overly existential or difficult to follow.
Graphic: Police brutality, Suicide, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Slavery, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Minor: Pregnancy
schorlett'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
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief, Suicide, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Blood, Bullying, and Pregnancy
savannah_c_dipasquale'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: Abandonment, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Religious bigotry, Bullying, and Classism