Scan barcode
beckyjc'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
The narrator is a 10 year old girl who lives on a farm in the Netherlands with her extremely religious family. In the early pages of the novel her eldest brother dies in an ice skating accident and this event sends the family members spiraling into grief in different ways, none of which involve honestly expressing how they feel with each other. This leads to some destructive, disturbing and downright bizarre behaviour on the part of the remaining children, who are effectively left to their own devices by their devastated, emotionally repressed parents. They each plot to escape the stifling and loveless environment of the farm - through violent and sexually abusive outlets, as well as literal distancing - and this culminates in an ending that shocked me.
The subject matter is of course very sad, but the unflinching writing style, brutal and sparse, and bleak imagery didn't really encourage my empathy - despite it being autobiographical. I felt like an alarmed observer watching with mounting unease (and downright disgust at points!) as the family comes apart at their greatest time of need.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Excrement
Minor: Abandonment
becca_thegrimreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Self harm, Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
gmco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Excrement, Incest, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide
jamieruwen's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Child death, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Grief, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Eating disorder
Neglect, emotional manipulation, christianityuncomfortablenouns's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Incest, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Not for the squeamish. Honestly, I mostly felt trolled by this book.