Scan barcode
nefariousbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
first, I'm a gen Z Czech person. I didn't live thru socialism but my parents did. at first, I was happy that the Slav authors finally seemed to start leaving ww2 behind and we can focus on more recent historical events that prominently shared our societies.
the issue is tho. this doesn't feel like a Pole wrote it. there's that typical self-righteousness of a westerner, writing about the underprivileged. and I hate it, it makes my hairs stand up, makes me see red.
and I'm sure there were good intentions, I'm sure the woke westerners will be swooning. but it feels like we're being put in a terrarium to be studied and pitied. it feels like it's saying that everyone who stayed is a loser or a bootlicker. it makes the westerners believe they'd also leave, like our protagonist, they would stand tall and proud. it does nothing to comment on the system, to try to create some nuance, to even describe the ordinary lives of the people to try the reader to relate.
there's much to say and I don't care enough to write and edit it all. if you want a book about socialist Poland, find a polish author, preferably one that lived thru it.
and let me recommend you Operation Hyacinth on the topic of being gay in socialist Poland.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Sexual content
kwichris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia and Grief
Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Outing, War, Sexual content, Drug use, and Antisemitism
Minor: Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, and Genocide
abicaro17'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: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Homophobia, War, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Death of parent, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Violence
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A love story that happens among all impossibilities, communism, poverty for most, waiting for something that might never come, among it all two different souls, one looking for the end of shame, wanting freedom, the other wanting more from life then what seemed due to him find each other.
In a short book this debut swoop me up and took me to 80’s Poland, to the tragedy of post war, of Cold War, of the Russian occupation, to the winter and summer streets of Warsaw, to the lakes and fields of the country, the bodies of boys, and the lavishness of the rich contrasting with the devastating poor. Most of all it immersed me in feelings of shame from being, from loving, the emotional detachment of forced immigration, the alienation from love and country.
A great achievement of writing and storytelling.
Just beautiful!!!
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Minor: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Drug use, Police brutality, and Antisemitism
gentlemanjack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Police brutality, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content
jayisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Death and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Drug use, Antisemitism, War, and Police brutality
hxcpanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content
Minor: Police brutality and Antisemitism
rieviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I quite liked the narrator's voice and I think that the author was very good at handling Ludwik's emotional journey, the final chapters especially hit me right in the feels, harder than I thought they would.
However, there were some plot points that I found a little bit weird
Also, I think that at times the language was a tad overwritten and going a bit too heavy on metaphors and similes.
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Drug use, Outing, Classism, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Violence
gerzonvillegas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Outing, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Chronic illness
Minor: War, Animal death, Drug use, and Police brutality
bestienicoley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Outing