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mandi4886's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Bullying, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Trafficking, Drug use, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Violence
ashleycmms's review
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Incest, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
Minor: Infidelity and Murder
thewoodlandbookshelf's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
sophn13's review
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Addiction, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism and Medical content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicide
charlotte123's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Violence, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
orlagal's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Toxic relationship
butterfliesonmybookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
charitylee92's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Terminal illness
gabrielab's review against another edition
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Animal cruelty
wardenred's review against another edition
5.0
"Don't be sad, Mom. I'll write."
"I'm not upset because I'll miss you," Mom said. "I'm upset because you get to go to New York and I'm stuck here. It's not fair."
This memoir was completely engrossing and unputdownable—more than once, I felt compelled to put aside everything else in favor of reading it. It left me with a lot of emotion and a lot of puzzlement and honestly, the author's parents are just bizarre.
This is very firmly a family story. It can even be said that it's a story of endless optimism and unconditional love and free-spirited parents teaching their kids to see every problem or trouble life throws at them as an adventure. Except it's not the abstract, esoteric life that subjects these kids to problems and troubles. Pretty much every bit of pain they face—from a beloved pet thrown out of the car window, to being stuck for 14+ hours in the darkness forbidden to talk, to sinking repeatedly during impromptu swimming lessons, to being put on the verge of getting sexually assaulted, to all the problems that come with living in extreme poverty—all of it is of their parents' making.
Reading about this dysfunctional dynamic was fascinating, the same way particularly inventive horror movies can be fascinating. I guess I... have a lot of inspiration for creating lovable villains now?
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship