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freshpageonthedesk'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, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death and Chronic illness
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicide
fairyko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Blood, Cursing, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Animal death
anh_read's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
As I am not a big fan of romance novels, I am relieved that this novel didn’t turn out to be a typical and cheesy love story. Moreover, if you like Sex and the city, it definitely catches the vibe - just in a darker manner.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Violence, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death and Sexual harassment
crawforl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Vomit, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Self harm, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Blood, Dementia, Drug use, and Infidelity
adaora_ble'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
3.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Dementia, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Blood, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Self harm, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Transphobia, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
maddalenacesco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
- Santiago’s grief has taken a toll on his mental health - with a stretch, I could predict it might have something to do with food (such as an e.d.)
- Santiago might have problems with intimacy
- Santiago’s storyline will follow his pursue to reaffirm himself after the loss of his wife
- Cleo: struggling but extremely talented artist, beautiful, object of the desire of rich older men, rough upbringing, depressed
- Frank/Anders (I paired them up because they’re the same person): handsome, very successful businessman, in his forties, womanizer, addict, in love with Cleo
- Eleonor: cynical, still lives with her mother, low self-esteem.
Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Infidelity, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
mariaminthebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Stating the obvious, the book flows like a river. The writing's great, descriptions' great yada yada yada...
Finished the book in 3 days. That says enough.
Now, the interesting stuff...
I found the main character insufferable, which is absolutely fine, characters do NOT have to be likeable, but Mellors tried SO hard to make her likeable by mentioning just how likeable she is (how convenient) which made me dislike her even more.
TW//
The book also features PRETTY heavy themes like alcoholism, drug abuse, animal cruelty, su!cide, self-h@rm, and the list goes on....without ever really diving into the complexity and complications of each struggle, thereby making the character's problems seem shallow (they are not!!!)
Along with having like a bazillion unnecessary characters, this, too, was unnecessary. Towards the end of the book, it felt as if Mellors was just throwing in as much trauma as she possibly can for that shocker effect. Unfortunately, that had a counter effect. It made me desensitised to much of the events in the novel.
traumatised characters ≠ unconditional sympathy
I've read books with way fewer events going on but had a much deeper attachment to the characters.
Frustratingly, this could have been such a good book....
Graphic: Infidelity, Chronic illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Blood, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Self harm, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
daisyreadssometimes'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
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Grief, Death, Self harm, Drug use, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Animal death, and Alcoholism
zoroco'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Animal death and Chronic illness
Minor: Transphobia
beriboo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Self harm, Chronic illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Cursing, Animal death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Mental illness