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jesstaurant'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
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Rape, and Trafficking
issyd23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
chelle22's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Confinement, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, and Violence
risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Excrement, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Trafficking, and Violence
shesun'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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Trafficking, Rape, Sexual assault, and Police brutality
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Murder, Suicide, and Terminal illness
hanelisil's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Death, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Trafficking
femmenova's review against another edition
5.0
This book broke my heart. And I wept for Kiara so much. Definitely do not read unless you are in the right head space for it.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Trafficking, Suicide, and Sexual violence
madluck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Child death, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Vomit
brookesbooks18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Child death, Abandonment, and Police brutality
b_carlson'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
5.0
This is a gorgeous yet confronting book of survival as a black teen living in America. I am not black but reading it I felt like I, at least in theory, understood the feeling of being robbed of a choice. Sometimes people have to make choices they don't really have a choice in. The rawness of Kiara's need to survive, top carry the whole world on her back, made me feel like she was standing there in my living room, close enough for me to reach out and take her hand and say "tell me more". This story explored power dynamics in such a real way, it wasn't white washed, it didn't build some fake reality where the young black girl wins going up against the police force, but it did provide a reality in which black joy can co-exist with black trauma. Being white and reading this book makes me feel like there is a core that I can't see, I can read it but I can't see it, I can't feel it, and I think that's how it should be. I felt moved and angry after finishing this book but I think if a black person were to read it they would take away just a little bit of something that white people could never touch and I think that takes an incredible amount of skill from Mottley, to connect with both of those audiences in the way they need to be connected with by using the exact same set of words. I can't believe this way a debut, the writing style and the realness of the characters, none were two dimensional was something I rarely see in a debut novel. The way the story was strung together, I felt a stirring in my chest and a sickness in my stomach but also a lightness in my heart for Kiara still being able to find joy in the end. To be able to actually make me, a reader, have that physical, real reaction to the story being told, that's when you know it is a job well done. This is a rare and unique read.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Murder, Addiction, Drug use, and Self harm