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mooniguess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Racism and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
jane_cs's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Transphobia
minimicropup'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
4.0
We follow twin siblings from their childhood through to their teens, where they eventually go their separate ways and live with different racial identities. We later follow their children, unaware of much of the family history as they navigate early adulthood.
🇺🇸 Set in small town Louisiana; Los Angeles, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Washington D.C. from the 1940s to the 1980s.
🎙️ Love the narration. Felt like I was watching a movie, it was easy to stay engaged and differentiate the characters. The narration is also expressive and emotive - one of the few audiobooks I didn't need to adjust the speed on for it to sound more natural.
🐺🐕 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags:
🥹 The writing style is so immersive and empathetic, and I was hooked into the story early on. The twins each have different personalities and are well developed as we follow them over the decades.
👌 The timeline jumping for the first 75% or so of the novel worked well to set the scene and provide context. It is very show, not tell, even when in-real-life horrors are unfolding.
🤔 However, the last 25% was harder to follow. I sometimes got confused about what timeline we were in for the later chapters and I felt like the character development for Kennedy and Jude was lacking a bit. It almost felt like the kids we followed earlier were not the adults we follow now. It just didn't relate back to the past if that makes sense? It felt more like we were being reminded of what happened in their childhoods instead of seeing how those events impacted them now.
Mood Reading Match Up:
- Historical fiction with small town 1950s vibes up to gritty 1980s city life
- Multigenerational story showing the impact of each generation on the next ones
- Character studies exploring privilege, bias (conscious and unconscious), race, prejudice, presumptions, and identity
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, Dementia, Hate crime, and Transphobia
orlagal'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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Abandonment, Mental illness, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Transphobia, Classism, and Vomit
b_harrington'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
4.5
I’ve gone for 4.5 because
I’ll be recommending this book to everyone.
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Racial slurs, Murder, Racism, and Domestic abuse
sperigo's review against another edition
- 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
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a novel longer than 300 pages, yet I couldn’t put this one down.
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Dementia
Moderate: Grief, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Minor: Addiction
dnvrdnvr'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
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Transphobia and Sexual assault
glammster'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Dementia, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, and Transphobia
Minor: Dysphoria
Graphic description of lynchinglindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Abandonment, Classism, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, and Transphobia
lpdx'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Homophobia
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Transphobia