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jytteanne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Abortion
oftheolivetree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Don’t fucking read this, my god.meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
wrackcity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
clarereadstheworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The story takes place on a dairy farm in a rural area of The Netherlands. As Jas teeters of the brink of puberty, her older brother tragically falls through the ice while ice-skating and dies. As her parents (understandably) fall apart, Jas tries desperately to recalibrate her world to adjust to the loss of her bother, and perhaps more devastatingly the loss of her parents love and attention. She becomes obsessed with death, avoiding death, and refuses to remove the red coats which envelops her in a protective layer.
The narrative is given entirely from Jas's point of view. The reader is pulled in as her confidant as Jas talks through the mundane and horrific things which happen in an equally matter of fact way. There are some very uncomfortable and graphic scenes as, starved for attention from their grieving parents, Jas and her siblings explore their emerging sexualities together. Jas also develops chronic constipation, which she tells the reader about in great detail.
Having grown up in a rural area filled with dairy farms similar to the area described in the book (although in a different country) I definitely felt a strong connection to the characters. There were a lot of elements which remained me of the children I went to school with.
Another element of this book I found interesting was the description of Jas's fear of germs, and getting sick. I suffer from emetophobia, which is a fear of vomiting, and this is the first time I've read a book with a character who has a similar phobia.
Not for the feint hearted, but an interesting read.
Trigger warnings: death, grief, sexual violence
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Incest, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt
nataliebeech's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Blood
simeona's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Antisemitism, and Grief
jmbz38's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Self harm, Sexual content, Excrement, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
mokuren's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
aweinstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship