Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
-0.5 as some parts didn't feel the need to be so long. And the actual climax and resolution was very quick in comparison to the brick of the book.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Drug abuse
The prompt was:
Read a book published between 2010-2020 that fits your reader profile but excludes your most-read genre.
I had to exclude my top genre, Young Adult and include all aspects of my reader profile:
.Mainly reads fiction books that are emotional, adventurous, and dark.
.Typically chooses medium-paced books that are 300-499 pages long.
I feel like my reader profile works to mention here since this book fit perfectly! I loved it.
Initially I had a difficult time following the book as I was not sure who was who or the settings but that became much easier and the characters were all really well written.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Racism, Xenophobia, Dementia, War
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Torture, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Physical abuse, Torture, Car accident
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
This tells a story set in suburban Queensland, Australia in the 70s-90s (a time that coincides with my own formative years). One of the main themes is focusing on detail and the way the author depicts this childhood brings back a huge number of sense-memories for me. Stubbies shorts, Burger Rings packets, sticky vinyl car seats, heat haze on bitumen roads, eating pineapple rings from Golden Circle cans... spelling words upside down on calculators, rats-tail haircuts, Ninja Turtles Tshirts and school bags with band names written all over them, and even the brand of cheap plastic pens and the names of the supermarkets, had my brain buzzing with resonance.... less so with the gangs and criminals, thankfully.
Apparently, according to the notes at the back, this book is semi-autobiographical. The language used is no holds barred and rich with Australian profanity. If I had a buck for every time a child swears and then is told off by a swearing adult I'd have enough to buy pizza tonight. I guess given that parts of this book are more than 40 years ago this is almost "historical fiction" which is hammered home by the complete lack of cellphones, specific cameras and torches, and the telephones are for.. yknow, calling people? Not to mention that people still rely on actual Newspapers. Old school.
As a story about growing up with unable parents and in traumatic circumstances, there are parts of the story that are delivered unreliably. The main point of view is from a traumatised boy and his older brother who is mute. There are dreams, visions and prophecies that I am always a sucker for. The story is told poetically with key lines that repeat. The action is tense and at times unhinged, telling of connection, redemption, mental illness, morality and garden variety pain.
I really enjoyed this book. It was the sort of story that I wanted to put down at times, and just sit with and think over. Lots of weird stuff happened, and the unpredictability and predictability walked hand in hand down a content warning list as long as my arm. Parts of it were utterly grotesque and parts of it were trippy, and all up it was satisfying.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting
Minor: Racism, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail