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hdluback's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy and Car accident
evan_all's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
kai_okay'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
4.5
Personally, I liked the first part better. I really enjoyed the backstory of the Riva family although I cried not just once. It started out so calm and simply escalated from there on.
I really liked how different the characters were, yet I could bring up sympathy for almost all of them. It was interesting - and devastating - to see how generational trauma unfolds.
The second part, in which the party finally takes place, reminded me of 'The Great Gatsby', so I was delighted to read in the Q&A in the end of my print version, that TJR was indeed inspired by it.
To be honest, I expected a much worse ending and was very happy that it played out that way.
All in all it is a great book with beautiful writing, a georgeous setting and interesting characters that deals with many serious topics.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
freshbatchofbooks'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: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
joey1914'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
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Infidelity, Misogyny, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
lovealwaysadi'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
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Abortion, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Medical content
kyrashelf'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
Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, Addiction, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
juliamakena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Addiction
Minor: Pregnancy
jor_dy'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
3.5
- the exploration (even if minuscule) of quite literally each and every character that is mentioned
- the summertime vibe
- easy, quick read
- the author’s understanding that humans have multiple sides, and people aren’t always 100% good (though it matter that they try to be)
- chosen family
- the ending
- NINA CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
- kit and ricky are literally robin and steve
what i disliked:
- characters are allowed only ONE personality trait, except nina who gets TWO because she’s the author’s favorite 😊
- the relationship between the siblings. on one hand, they love each other very much and it is clear that they would do anything for each other. but at the same time they did not feel like they were written as sibling. they felt more like childhood friends???
- the timeline was so ambiguous?? like it could be set at literally any point in history after 1950. i wish the time periods in the book were more clearly detailed and it felt like i was actually experiencing the characters in, say, the ‘60s or the ‘80s
- the omniscient, constantly switching pov. i don’t care about whoever tf wendy is get back to the main point.
- when the men in the book got mad at someone for accusing them of shit they know they did
- everything felt so utterly predictable
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Violence
nina riva, a central character, is a model and as part of that she mentions being on a dietcassellwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Drug use