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barbarella85'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: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Homophobia
lunapurification's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Addiction, and Alcoholism
j32em's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
raisinflakies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Self harm, Misogyny, Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Abandonment, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, Transphobia, and Vomit
biggareader's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
katiehuntington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
haalborg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual violence and Child abuse
lucykateburns'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
4.0
On the contrast, it was hard not to love Shuggie. I don't know how to sum him up. What child doesn't love their mother? It's hard to grow up and accept that they aren't the heroes you once thought them to be. Parents can be very flawed people and, as in Shuggie's case, so flawed that there is nothing you can do to help them. The whole book felt like a journey into Shuggie's letting go of his mum, he couldn't keep her here for him. I think ultimately letting her go was the best he could have done.
In this sense, the theme of recurring self-harm and inability to recover reminded me of A Little Life, and both share similar endings in this regard. The tragic comparison between Leanne's mother and Shuggie's is something to comment on, but I won't go too much into it. Essentially, it just shows the possible paths alcoholism can lead a woman down, neither of which are positive. For this reason, I think the book has a very depressing overall tone to it, there isn't a fairytale ending but sometimes that is the reality of things. Clearly this was never entirely Agnes' fault, but in the world we live in she didn't have much choice. Eugene must feel eternal guilt.
It is difficult to finish the book and not know where Shuggie ends up, or what exactly the outcome of the journey with his sexuality will be, but I am comforted with his friendship with Leanne. I hope they both find love and happiness.
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Excrement, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
annicanns'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
4.0
I picked it up after reading A Little Life in hopes of finding something as emotionally exhausting as I tend to find comfort in reading books where characters have experienced similar things to me.
For the majority of this book, I was completely enticed and wrapped up in the book.
A little more than half way through, I hit a stump. I got a little bored of the same old same old in the section and had to force myself to push through in hopes for the ending to be amazing.
The ending? Amazing.
Pros: Great writing, pacing, and overall a great story
Cons: A little difficult to read at some parts because of the way the accent is spelt out, the amount of time centered around Shuggie as a boy was much much longer than I thought (I thought the book would be about him as an adult learning to cope with life after trauma from his childhood)
Graphic: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
merle98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Vomit