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dogoodwithbooks'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Medical content, Ableism, and Child death
Minor: Infertility, Death of parent, Excrement, and Abandonment
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
sloanefg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Excrement
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Pedophilia
vatodd's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Ableism
Moderate: Death of parent
sweetpotatosamm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Excrement, Racism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Death of parent
linde_euw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Racism and Antisemitism
Minor: Racism, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
acashton's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Racism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Death, Rape, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
ferranda'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
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Chronic illness, Racism, Antisemitism, and Death of parent
clarkg'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Ableism, Child death, Death, and Excrement
Moderate: Classism, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Xenophobia
Minor: Slavery, Infidelity, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
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