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tetrootz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Death, Grief, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, and Misogyny
Moderate: Racial slurs, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, and Blood
theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition
But.
I truly believe you need to understand chess to follow this novel’s progression. Many of Beth’s plays, and tournaments’ rules and activities, are given without any explanation, which is frustrating. Plus, there is so much alcohol abuse, without it pressing forward the story. Both Beth and her mother drink beer like mother, often in physically impossible quantities and in a method of communication with each other and with other people. I am not sensitive to alcohol abuse or alcoholism per se, but even I became very uncomfortable with the frequency of it. I became so hyperaware of it that it took me out of the book.
Graphic: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Forced institutionalization
genevieve_eggleston'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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Grief, and Vomit
Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Bullying, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
frantically's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Addiction
Moderate: Death of parent
quejk25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual content, Abandonment, Car accident, and Death of parent
boobies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
its a fast paced, easy read book that anyone could get into, it was a bit dark but I think that was Teviss' goal, the themes of mental illness, addiction, adoption and feminism are well done in my eyes. I dont know if anyone else thought that Beth was autistic but that was a strong vibe I was getting. However :( , this book is soo obviously written by a man who has no clue about young women, tbh it was a bit annoying. plus all the characters had deep flaws which make most of them unlikeable and the ending was predictable. ♡
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Grief, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Racial slurs
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, and Death of parent
claudiam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
sarahaf712's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
pseudoliterature's review against another edition
However, TW// sexual assault, there is a scene in the beginning of this book that is a very explicit sexual assault to a minor, and i know it got cut from the show, but the rest of the story didn't, it left a bad taste in my mouth, and this is full spoilers but it is also an important topic, he used the only character of colour in this book to reinforce a incredibly harmful stereotype, it didn't add anything to the story, it wasn't explore later, it was never mention again, it wasn't something to explore abuse in orphanages, it was him thinking the best way to show Beth's vulnerability was through sexual assault, and he chose the character who was going to commit it, villainized it, and then abandoned it. it was unnecessary, only harmful.
I'm a believer that you can enjoy things, but must also be able to recognize its problematic aspects and critique them, specially when it's straight up racism dressed as "commentary".
I'm not saying you should just ignore this book, there are good scenes in here, but it is also full of problematic things outside the main story and heavily integrated in it.
But that it's also what the book is about, destruction, determination, ambition. The mind of a teen through the lens of an adult man.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Vomit