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mercerhanau'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
2.75
It’s a reflective set of stories, looking at slices of life from the narrator as a child, teenager, and mid/late 20s, looking back from later in life. Lots of drinking and suffering from drug addition, wanting to get clean. Depressing, occasionally funny, a LOT of scenes with varying degrees of nausea, dry heaving, and vomit. Unpleasant. But there are also scenes of tenderness that help flesh out the characters.
The title (and a couple references to zombies) encouraged me to look for what could be “horror” or the supernatural in stories that otherwise feel like a fictionalized memoir. Animal presences serve as metaphors that connect interpersonal struggles to the natural world in all its power, chaos, and… stenches.
More thoughts on real-life "horror": SPOILERS / Content Warnings
Feels like an important story to tell. Nuanced representation of a deeply interconnected Native community and family. The writing style and characters didn’t resonate with me, and that’s okay! I definitely see why other people love the book.
Cf. / Reminded me of themes in…
- Wellness, by Natan Hill:
- The Only Good Indians, by Stephen Graham Jones:
- Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare, by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto:
- This Thing Between Us, by Gus Moreno:
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Vomit
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Dementia, Miscarriage, and Car accident
Minor: Pregnancy, Medical content, Sexual assault, Animal death, Infertility, and Racial slurs
kaywhiteley's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Vomit, Drug abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Child death and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual assault and Car accident
lizzie24601's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Alcohol, Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Dementia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Miscarriage, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Blood, Racial slurs, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Violence, and Racial slurs
Minor: Child death
m47n's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Colonisation
ohnoitscoco's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Car accident, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death and Grief
jessereadsthings's review
3.0
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Racism, Child abuse, and Rape
dragonwriter's review against another edition
Graphic: Cursing
Minor: Miscarriage
nicoleisalwaysreading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Alcoholism, and Racism
carlaah1984's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Drug use
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Dementia, and Pregnancy