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jennboyack_scott's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Drug use
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Sexual content
carlytenille's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, and Sexual content
halfelfschollar's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When this book was recommended to me and I read the blurb I was expecting a story about a queer girl being in love with her best friend. And that's is what the story is about. It's about learning to move on and have your own life while maintaining a friendship with someone who you love but will never love you the same way. It's about seeing opportunities to change that love into something less romantic. But this book is also about the pain of watching someone you care for deeply as they loose themselves. The pain of watching them get worse and knowing you've done all you can for them.
The framing device of the water is fitting. Being a book about two Australian's water makes sense, we spend our summers at beaches and during droughts water becomes a valuable thing. It's hard to think of something else that would work for the symbolism of the book. Because when water is plentiful it represents all the things it gives life too. But by the end of the book the water has dried up and we are left wondering if it'll ever fill the rivers again.
The end wasn't something I saw coming, but it's something that I was glad to read despite the sadness of it.
The framing device of the water is fitting. Being a book about two Australian's water makes sense, we spend our summers at beaches and during droughts water becomes a valuable thing. It's hard to think of something else that would work for the symbolism of the book. Because when water is plentiful it represents all the things it gives life too. But by the end of the book the water has dried up and we are left wondering if it'll ever fill the rivers again.
The end wasn't something I saw coming, but it's something that I was glad to read despite the sadness of it.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Suicide, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
ohwowbee's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Intimate specifics lend it a memoir-feel. Overall, an interesting and tender exploration of the thin line between friendship and infatuation. It occasionally lost me, as we moved so quickly and fleetingly through the characters’ lives - there didn't seem to be much to latch on to, no purchase in the craggy cliff wall. But this may have been the point?
Moderate: Suicide, Drug abuse, and Mental illness
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