Scan barcode
hoppyread'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: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Bullying, and Rape
Minor: Vomit
kaylasbewks'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
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Rape, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Gun violence, and Drug use
Minor: Child death
infinite_mirrors'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
At times I did get tired of the sort of passive, anecdotal nature of the prose. It really slowed the narrative down and made every moment a meditative think-piece, which is great and moving once in a while but is tiresome when employed in every other paragraph of a novel.
There were many characters in this book. The first third or so of the novel dragged a bit as every one of them had their backgrounds, beliefs, and interpersonal relationships dissected; not that it wasn't enjoyable or well-written! It was just very slow. Speaking of the characters, they were real, nuanced, flawed human beings... except for the times when they were caricatures of good and evil. Maya in particular, the victim of a horrible crime, ceased being a regular 15-year-old as soon as the crime was committed and became a paragon of ideal martyrdom. Most of the other characters had their mistakes and good and bad moments in turn, but Maya was like wise and mature saint, more a stand-in for victims everywhere than her own person. I'm not sure if this was intentional on the author's part or a very ironic outcome of trying to treat victims with respect and dignity. This is a minor grievance and didn't detract too much from the story for me, but it was noticeable.
A warning, because I didn't get one: sexual assault was a major plot point, and a catalyst for the events of the novel. The topic was treated with the care and gravitas it deserves, but the author did not gloss over or shy away from the horror and trauma of it. So read with caution.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Transphobia
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Classism, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Minor: Transphobia, Animal death, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders
te_ss_i'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
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Child death, Alcohol, Transphobia, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This story captures so beautifully what it means to be human and all that we're capable of... the best, the worst, and everything in between. It is emotional and captivating, at times heartbreaking, funny, tense and hopeful.
Backman's characters are wonderfully complex, imperfect like the rest of us, and utterly lovable (or at least most of them...).
The writing style is simple, succinct and fairly blunt, and there's a lot of foreshadowing.
I was hooked immediately and will definitely be rereading this in the years to come.
Quotes:
"Words are not small things."
"Difficult questions, simple answers. What is a community? It is the sum total of our choices."
[I listened to the audiobook this time. It is well narrated and I enjoyed it a lot, but definitely prefer reading this story myself so I can reread sentences and paragraphs to my heart's content.]
Moderate: Homophobia, Classism, Rape, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
changelingreader_adrian'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: Rape, Sexual assault, and Bullying
Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, Transphobia, and Homophobia
katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This story captures so beautifully what it means to be human and all that we're capable of... the best, the worst, and everything in between. It is emotional and captivating, at times heartbreaking, funny, tense and hopeful.
Backman's characters are wonderfully complex, imperfect like the rest of us, and utterly lovable (or at least most of them...).
The writing style is simple, succinct and fairly blunt, and there's a lot of foreshadowing.
I was hooked immediately and will definitely be rereading this in the years to come.
Quotes:
"Words are not small things."
"Difficult questions, simple answers. What is a community? It is the sum total of our choices."
Moderate: Classism, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Gun violence, Rape, and Violence
Minor: Transphobia, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, and Fatphobia
hawkguyscoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Classism
Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism
itshrewsbury's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
His writing style reminds me a lot of Ellen Hopkins, where there’s an ambiguous chapter opener that connects the threads of the story together.
Backman is also king of “both side”-ism, which is frustrating when the climactic event of the book is a rape, but overall makes for a great story.
It makes me curious if there’s any scientific studies on the mental and emotional trauma children in sports suffer, particularly in areas where sports are the end all be all of the community
18+
TW/CW: Drug use (marijuana) and addiction (alcohol), child abuse, hazing, transphobic comments, homophobia, rape, PTSD, racism, gang violence
Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use, Child abuse, Transphobia, and Homophobia