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halefire's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lv00009's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Incest
amberhayward's review against another edition
3.0
I know I read this but I have no recollection of the plot. So considering that, I guess I would currently have to rate it at 2 stars. I stayed up all night one Easter (the Easter of my sophomore year of high school) reading the Courtney Love biography by Poppy Z Bright and still wasn't tired when I finished it, so I read this also.
hope_elizabeth's review
3.0
"use what you see so you don't start hurting yourself with it."
brings in a very specific feeling. it has this foggy flow of consciousness, like you have low iron and you just stood up too fast. however, i think it fits considering her darker state of mind and all the trauma! poetic but not in a way i’d recommend, although i did like the witch vibes from the mom (in hindsight, i probably shouldn’t be relating to her).
personally only picked this up from a used book shop because i thought the tarot theme was cool. a little hard to get through. the ending was not impactful for me, wrapped up the whole issue so quickly!! also, i did not like jack, if he did exist. at all.
brings in a very specific feeling. it has this foggy flow of consciousness, like you have low iron and you just stood up too fast. however, i think it fits considering her darker state of mind and all the trauma! poetic but not in a way i’d recommend, although i did like the witch vibes from the mom (in hindsight, i probably shouldn’t be relating to her).
personally only picked this up from a used book shop because i thought the tarot theme was cool. a little hard to get through. the ending was not impactful for me, wrapped up the whole issue so quickly!! also, i did not like jack, if he did exist. at all.
dasenergi's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Drug use, and Sexual content
oneeyedjess's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
immortalgirl92's review against another edition
2.0
I read the synopsis of this book a long time ago and I could not wait to read this. I managed to get a hold of the ebook and was exited to finally get in to it.
I was really disappointed. This book was extremely confusing to me. Half the time I had no idea what was going on and the other half was just some weird memories or dreams.
I was really disappointed. This book was extremely confusing to me. Half the time I had no idea what was going on and the other half was just some weird memories or dreams.
dreamofbookspines's review
4.0
A re-read from my teen years, this book is no less charming for it. This is one of Block's more disturbing books, while still being one in which she utilizes her lush prose. Half sentences, fragments, single words: all are pregnant with meaning, with importance. Read slowly with a cup of tea for best results, preferably on a foggy dreamy sort of day.
sarahpyt's review
5.0
I first found Francesca Lia Block and her novels through goodreads, of course; the first book I read being How to (Un)cage a Girl, which is a beautiful collect of poetry that inspired me to find and read more of Block's work. Fortunately, all the books I've read so far have been absolutely wonderful and I was very happy when I found a copy of The Hanged Man.
Something I've noticed about Block's novels as I've read more of them is that they all seem to deal with similar topics, eating disorder and abuse among them. Her books also contain mythology and mythological beings, such as angels and fairies. I love how she can incorporate all these things together and come up with a beautiful story. There's something about the way she references all this that makes them real to me. It gives her novels a dream like, fairy tale feel that makes me want to believe.
The Hanged Man is one of my favorites by Block, and maybe one of the favorites of all time. It is a perfect example of what Francesca Lia Block does best: write poetic, poignant stories that come to life within the pages before you. She captures you not only with her words but with her story itself, with the magic it contains and the mystery that surrounds it.
Something I've noticed about Block's novels as I've read more of them is that they all seem to deal with similar topics, eating disorder and abuse among them. Her books also contain mythology and mythological beings, such as angels and fairies. I love how she can incorporate all these things together and come up with a beautiful story. There's something about the way she references all this that makes them real to me. It gives her novels a dream like, fairy tale feel that makes me want to believe.
The Hanged Man is one of my favorites by Block, and maybe one of the favorites of all time. It is a perfect example of what Francesca Lia Block does best: write poetic, poignant stories that come to life within the pages before you. She captures you not only with her words but with her story itself, with the magic it contains and the mystery that surrounds it.