Scan barcode
anna_rubin'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, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Car accident
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Homophobia, Drug use, and Medical content
Minor: Pedophilia and Physical abuse
schlady's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Blood, Medical content, Alcoholism, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Rape, Classism, Racism, Abortion, Drug use, and Drug abuse
ashwaar'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Terminal illness, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Car accident, and Cancer
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Medical content, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Self harm, Rape, and Sexual assault
abbie_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Medical content, Terminal illness, Car accident, Cancer, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Lesbophobia, Rape, and Self harm
bandysbooks'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? Yes
4.0
I thought this book was pretty interesting. All of the characters are highly dysfunctional, but still relatable. I personally felt frustrated with them on many occasions, but ultimately couldn’t help but root for them.
I did find the pacing a little bit slow. At times the story did drag a bit or get a little redundant, but it was a minor thing.
All in all, if you really like deep explorations of characters and their motivations, this is for you!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Car accident, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug use, Grief, and Homophobia
jayisreading's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Incest, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault
erinwolf1997'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: Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Drug use, Medical content, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Self harm, Incest, Rape, Abortion, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
just_one_more_paige'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
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cancer, Grief, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
ashvini'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
It follows the Padilla family in the deprived town of Española in New Mexico, at the start of Holy Week. Armadeo is an unemployed thirty-two-year-old who finds purpose and a sense of rebirth in his newly-appointed role of Jesus in the local Church's passion play. He's self-centred and oblivious to the daily needs of his mom and daughter. Yolanda, the matriarch, has just received fatal and life-changing news. Angel, sixteen years old and pregnant, has just fled her mother's home and is grappling with her stepfather's abuse, the lack of dependable adults in her life, and planning for her future.
Over the course of the story, we are fully immersed into these characters' lives; not only with regards to their socio-economic conditions (poverty, unemployment, teen pregnancy, alcoholism etc), but also with their character quips (interests, desires, longings, and heartaches).
For me, this book inspired a lot of thought about our universal need for attention, what it means to fail and how hard it can be to overcome our circumstances.
There's a lot to unpack here and I think I would benefit from a second reading. That said, I did find that at times this book felt long and slower-paced than I usually prefer. It took a long time for all the details that were being woven together to finally click into a comprehensive pattern.
Nonetheless, the place I was transported to while reading this book and the characters I encountered is a journey I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Grief, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Terminal illness
tofutofutofu'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, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Self harm, Physical abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Incest, and Drug abuse