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Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Especially Willem Andy and Harold, while they all have really great moments, also have reflections of hopelessness and a sort of twisted expectation for who Jude is that I think sends the wrong message. It’s like they expect him to be condemned to a life of suffering and to see him die young. I enjoy their perspectives, but they are almost uncharacteristically pessimistic at times at what I think is a detriment to the book as a whole.
It is a comforting novel if I ignore the leeching of hopelessness that seeps from the people who are supposedly mentally healthy and un-traumatized, who are said time and time again that they love Jude. It is clear that they do, but they never expect Jude to get better. They seem almost afraid to hope for it. Even in those Happy Years, Willem speaks to having to accept Jude as he is. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with aspects of this, and I by no means think he should try to fix Jude himself, but the way it is written has an air of inevitability and hopelessness that I think negatively affects the story and its readers.
I loved this book when it wrote out the often illogical thought processes that stem from trauma and mental illness, when it discussed coping and friendship and struggles. I think it could be a beautiful book for people who are suffering to feel seen, if only it didn’t discourage getting help and portray the people who are supposed to care despite everything as also believing that Jude’s suicide and suffering is inevitable. I think Jude being hopeless makes sense. I think everyone else’s retreat into inaction except in dire circumstances is cowardly and poorly thought out. Over and over they are said to care, said to love Jude and shown that they are smart, capable, reportedly empathetic and kind people. I don’t think Jude dying by suicide is the issue. Sometimes that is how a life ends and it doesn’t matter how much love and support you have. And it can be hard to care for someone who so desperately wants to show you why you should do the opposite. But the way the people who love Jude are written as reflecting on who he is/was, how they don’t even hope that he will one day be better, not fixed but better, that I think is the books biggest issue. It changes it from being a comfort for the damned to being enabling and harmful to its readers.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
*ps, deffo not a pool / beach read lol x
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abandonment
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail