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emmareeser's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual content
lindsayerin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
horourke's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual content, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Violence
emmas_bookshelf'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Drug use
murrderdith'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I genuinely did like the novel. The writing is fantastic and the characters are odd but also believable. That said, the multitude of intersecting narratives didn't always feel cohesive. I don't think the novel would have benefitted from stripping it down to a single third-person perspective but there are characters that could have been eliminated entirely (Hope and her husband) to give others (Joan) more space without taking anything from the larger plot.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Violence
courtney23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and Animal cruelty
vicblue'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? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
spacescape'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
3.25
This book is an example of why I have a difficult time reading novels. After finishing & reflecting, there is one main character whom didn't need to exist at all, which would have cut out many unnecessary and shock-value pages. A letter to this individual--several pages on its own--could have been struck with it. Additionally, a particular argument between two other main characters is completely nonsensical.
I'll pause here to add some positive things: the setting of a dying Midwest town is perfect (even though a street-level description for part of the town only comes at the end, confusingly). The ideas of gentrification, the Midwest, mental disorders of several varieties, living far too deep in one's own head, drug abuse, and economic challenges are very well-woven into the whole story.
The ultimate frustration is that this novel could be a good 25% shorter, which would have made it better. Longer does not equal better, writers!
Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Addiction, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment and Drug abuse
julsmarshall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child abuse
amanduhhhpls's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This lacked any sort of the depth it was obviously trying to have.
If you’re squeamish about animal abuse at all, stay far far FAR away from this. I regret reading it.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Animal death, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Murder, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship