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nukie19'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
3.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Antisemitism, Confinement, Excrement, Alcohol, Medical content, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Racism
chewy__stuff's review against another edition
Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Grief, Confinement, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Excrement, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
djbobthegirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Racial slurs, Death, Excrement, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Mental illness, Ableism, Antisemitism, and Sexual violence
abigailhaagen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
So yeah. It wasn't a bad novel, and I know most of my qualms are subjective, but I just didn't like it.
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Confinement and Rape
shottel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The writing style is immaculate as well, with perfect balance and flow and a dry sense of sarcasm. The presentation choices (font, spacing, etc.) present this book like great work of literature, like a fancy looking Bible, and it manages to earn these dressings. The plot is well-paced, with just the right amount of twists and turns. I couldn’t suggest a single phrasing or word choice or paragraph restructuring that I feel would be better.
The sole reason this is not a 5/5 review is that for all its excellence in depicting numerous different ethnic groups and people of different ages and abilities, the identity of the author as a straight man comes through. It’s the sole mark against the book’s virtual universality, an impressive feat given it’s situated very firmly in interwar-period Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, the repeated references to women’s breasts and buttocks and the greater priority men have in the story, among other things, was hard for me to miss.
Nevertheless, this book is still very close to a must-read. If you can manage the lengthy list of heavy topics the book covers (it pulls absolutely no punches with regards to the difficulties of life) and you think you even might possibly be interested in the setting and style, it’s worth your time.
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Excrement, Rape, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Hate crime
Minor: Colonisation, Medical content, Classism, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Slavery
craftyanty'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Confinement, Child death, and Antisemitism
lexcellent'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? No
1.0
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Racism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Vomit, Confinement, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Pedophilia
elletrixie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Ableism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Antisemitism, Rape, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Death, Confinement, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Racism, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
maddiet425's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Excrement, Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Child death, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Stalking, Grief, Cursing, and Outing
Moderate: Mental illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Minor: War and Slavery