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ajrkph07'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
4.0
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Suicidal thoughts
daisha101's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Self harm
mmmmmm'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
Graphic: Self harm, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
the_bookish_sociologist'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: Suicidal thoughts
bookmaddie's review
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
dominmuenster'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
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Self harm
Moderate: Medical trauma, Eating disorder, Medical content, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit
seullywillikers'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? It's complicated
5.0
Updated review: EVERYONE should read this book, but most especially, if you have anything to do with higher education AT ALL, whether as student, teacher, administrator, or volunteer, you must read this book. Obviously, as a white woman, I did not identify with all of Sahara's identities; I did identify with some of her story, though. This has got to have the most real portrayal of depression and suicidal ideation in a fiction that I have ever read. Throughout, Sahara's humor, sadness, and rage burn brightly, so that you are in the midst of it, and feeling it too. The POV of a Black woman in a PWI is poignant and important-you can logically 'know' a thing, but to see it through this window is another thing entirely. Certainly, I'll never understand on a fundamental level, but having the books and other media that represent these true stories (fiction as truth-teller) is so important for everyone in today's America.
The framework of a satirical Master's thesis is brilliantly conceived and executed in this book, and is well used to highlight the insufficient, ineffective, and hypocritical policies and facades of towering institutions that don't actually do the work to raise up anyone except their donors and benefactors. This book touched not only on systemic racism, but also everyday microaggressions, inequitable health-care and the dismissal of Black people's pain, trying to figure out your life as an LGBTQIA+ person, depression and self-harm, dysfunctional families (even if there is love there), and just trying to figure out yourself in college. That is SO much to cover, but this book doesn't feel bogged down, sloggy, or hindered in achieving to carry all of that.
Also, Sahara has awesome taste in music. 5 stars.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism, Fatphobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Blood
abbie_'s review against another edition
4.0
Boy oh boy was this book an emotional rollercoaster! I need to preface this by saying that I highly recommend it but if you are currently struggling with depression and/or self-harm, please take care of yourself if you read it!
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
the_mighty_finn17's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Drug use
homodyne_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved the structure of addressing the thesis committee, and chapters being interspersed with Zine pages. It felt very real and unflinching. It was bitingly funny, and thoughtful. I really appreciate the ways it played with formatting.
This was a also a really difficult read. I could not tell from the book sleeve that this was going to be a story centered on suicidial ideation, self harm, and disordered eating. In addition to, and fueled by, horrific racism (this I was expecting going in). Its a very painful book to read. I think its important to engage with that, even though I know that this book was not really for me.
Well done, sickening, but finally a bit hopeful at the end.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm
Moderate: Drug use, Medical trauma, and Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual assault