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rjaxn'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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Vomit
klaratoll'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
5.0
Update:
Okay, it's been a few days since I finished it and I think I've collected my thoughts enough to discuss some of my feelings about this novel. To say it shortly: I think I love it. Some of my thoughts below this point will probably contain spoilers so do read ahead with caution.
The first thing I was unsure about as I finished the book was the message it potentially sends. I've seen a lot of the more negative-leaning reviews saying that the message is that some people are too broken to be helped and we should basically just give up on them and let them die. I think it's quite difficult to write a book that deals with suicide and not make it potentially carry the this message, but I don't think that books containing suicide should not be written. I hate to bring the argument of realism into this, but I will anyway. Saying that the message is that some people are too broken to help kind of ignores that people do commit suicide. Even people who are deeply, deeply loved. Even people who have recieved help and treatment. Representing this in fiction does not equate that we should give up on people. I have to say that right after finishing the book a part of me thought: "So what was the point then? Did nothing of it matter in the end?" But after having thought about it for a while I refuse to define the point of a life by how it ends, and I refuse to say that kind acts, love and friendship do not matter even if they might not be enough. Are love and moments of happiness not of any consequence just because they do not last?
There was so much about the novel that I found hard-hitting and thought-provoking. Something that really stood out to me was how the characters were constantly wondering if they were making the right choices in relation to Jude and his traumas. Do I push this? Will I break something if i do? What happens if I don't? If I had done something differently, would things have been different? Better? I think this is quite a realistic depiction of being close to someone who is suffering in some kind of way.
I also need to say something more elaborate on the book as a whole. It's a slow read, at times perhaps a bit too slow I thought. But in the end I think the slowness adds to the impact of it all, I don't think I would have cared as much about the character had it not been so in depth. The relationships that are explored and the the understanding and attachment I felt for all the characters is extraordinary.
As I mentioned the novel was truly devastating, throughout to be honest, but especially the last hundred pages or so were a sob-fest for me. The excruciating thing was that I thought I had worked out what was going to happen, at least the broad strokes of it, and when I was fundamentally wrong about one thing that I had been absolutely certain of it pulled the rug right out from under me. However painful this was, it was masterfully done.
I do not argue with anyone who finds this book exploitative or harmful, I think it can be if read in the wrong state of mind. But I do think that there are many other things to take away from this read and a lot of them are hauntingly beautiful and reflect the many facets, ugly and beautiful, of what it is to be human.
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Vomit, Medical content, and Fire/Fire injury
fictional_meg'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
bengami'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
5.0
Edit: I recently listened to some interviews of the author, and something she said really made this book click into place for me & made me love it more. She called it a fantasy, in that Jude’s childhood is cartoonishly horrific, his circumstances unimaginable, and yet he gets into an Ivy League college, becomes filthy rich & lives in unimaginable comfort with people who love him. Like an old storybook when the child in grim circumstances gets everything they’ve ever dreamed of. Yet, he can never accept it, because he never gets better & never truly escapes his childhood.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Abandonment
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
this book is EXTREMELY DETAILED in its descriptions of child sexual abuse.paigehf'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol
sarahvonzuben'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
seades's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
addythebookbat'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
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
lunasea_dream'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
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
shaynasiakimotu'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
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment