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lolo_lew's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, Classism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Vomit, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Abortion, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual violence
bronzeageholly's review against another edition
4.75
For those who know David Copperfield, it is a close enough interpretation to make you go "oh no! I know where this is going! stop the ride!" at least once a chapter. But, in saying that, it is also a very unique concept, an incredible tale of the care system and opioid crisis in the US.
Each character was so well fleshed out, in particular Demon; his narratorial voice was so strong, moving, and hilarious. His thoughtfulness, his anger, his empathy are heartbreaking. The accounts of each of the characters moved me to tears many times; I wanted desperately to reach into the pages and swoop Demon and the others away to safety.
I found the pacing quite difficult to get into and had to swap from the physical book to an audiobook around 1/5 of the way in. The lack of abstraction throughout meant that when there were descriptions of intense suffering my reading quickened ("I need to keep going to make sure they're okay"), and then would slow dramatically during the 'bildungsroman' areas. Because of this I had an on-again-off-again relationship with the book, however the audiobook helped immensely and I found myself unable to put it down for the last few hours.
The central themes of addiction, judgement, loss, and love are devastating and important, and I would implore every adult to read it. There are so many lines that I will hold with me forever.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Bullying, and Kidnapping
csoyars'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion and Suicide
scottishhands'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, Trafficking, Abandonment, Addiction, Grief, Rape, and Abortion
dua_liepard'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
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Racism, Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
stinky_phytoseiid'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Death of parent
Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Violence, and Abortion
ellieswilliams'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: Addiction, Classism, Cursing, Death, Alcohol, Drug use, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Car accident, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Racism, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Abortion, Self harm, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Violence
soyboysimon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I won't say that it was easy to read(it took me a month), but it was definitely fun to read. Who cares about sentences making sense and following grammar rules? Not Demon.
Great book! Hits some hard topics but in a way that shines light on the problems and makes me feel more knowledgable about them. My takeaway from it is that no matter where life starts you out, there are always choices to be made and consequences to be had. Maybe sins are most of the time passed down from the generations, but maybe they don't have to be. The cycle can be broken. Ain't no hill for a climber.
Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Excrement, Vomit, Animal death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide, Stalking, and Car accident
kgb0003's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Death of parent, Abortion, Child abuse, and Self harm
bmaeus's review
- 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: Drug abuse, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion, Animal death, Rape, and Sexual assault