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chaoticweevil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cursing, Classism, Pregnancy, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship
literarylion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
- All-around well-crafted
- Interesting take on climate disaster
- Strong character development and establishment of POV
- A bit derivative of other authors and stories (general dystopia)
- I had trouble orienting myself in the setting for the first quarter or so
- Felt rushed towards the end
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit, Animal death, Cursing, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Pregnancy
kallan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, Violence, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Alcoholism
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
deedireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
TL;DR REVIEW:
A Children’s Bible was a strange read, but no doubt masterful. Short, unsettling, and apocalyptic, I can see why it was a National Book Award contender.
For you if: You like literary and/or apocalyptic novels.
FULL REVIEW:
I picked up A Children’s Bible because it was longlisted for the National Book Award. While I wouldn’t quite call it a fun read, I can absolutely appreciate its mastery and resonance, and I’m glad I read it.
The story is about a group of children whose wealthy families have gathered in a big country house for the summer. The kids are unsettlingly mature (which is more of a story device than realistic, but is actually really interesting in the way it positions their partying parents as less irresponsible — particularly given the book’s focus on climate change and impending disaster). Then a storm blows through, and what’s essentially the end of the world begins.
It’s a super-short novel at only about 200 pages, and it’s extremely unsettling, but written in a detached, x-ray like style that’s also really effective. All in all, a fascinating read from a literary perspective, and I can definitely see why some people thought it might win the Pulitzer.
Pick this one up if you like weird, literary books!
Graphic: Torture and Animal death
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Violence, and Confinement
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body horror, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, Torture, Drug use, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
laurendubs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent and Torture
knkoch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Most of the characters weren’t highly detailed, besides the central 3-4, though that might be intentional. This is a book set within several large, roving groups of both adults and teenagers, and individuals are often being lost and found. The thematic links to the parables of the Bible were at times tricky for me, as I’m not the most well versed, but I was pleasantly surprised at where the plot took me. It was quite hard to predict most moments.
The author did well to write from a young person’s perspective, even though it was hard to tell the age of the narrator. I get a sense that such de-individuation (in age and personality) was intentional, both to link the characters to their archetypal origins and force the reader to think in terms of groups, rather than individuals. They seem to represent humanity as a whole?
Overall, interesting, funny, and thought-provoking.
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Torture
This is not a calming read. It’s a somewhat dystopian projection of climate change apocalypse.perditorian's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Torture
Minor: Eating disorder
internationalreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
The “R” word is used to describe a character with a presumed intellectual disability in a very not-ok wayforeverinastory'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Torture, and Violence
Child birth, death from child birth