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proceduralbob'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
Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, and Classism
binca's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War
colie923'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
readwithkel'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
3.25
And I’m glad I listened to the edition with the final chapter. I did really like that ending.
However - the language killed me. I was almost a third of the way through the book before I had any idea what was going on. Thank goodness for the Sparknotes dictionary.
This was very dystopian and almost a sociological/psychological kind of book, but it was just too violent for me personally.
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
shane_delier'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
Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
outervale'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
tayoreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Police brutality
sabrinz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Even though the story is quite short with about 200 pages, it does take some time to read. While the linguistic aspect Burgess integrated with his youth slang being is amazing from a linguistic point of view and quite interesting when you read the background of these words, it made reading the story rather slow. However, at some point you do get used to the words and the reading speeds up (you'll also be able to guess most words from contex - I did know some Russion but even then it took me quite a while to make some connections between the actual Russian word and the slang that was based on it).
The story follows Alex, a 15-year old teenager, and his gang of 3 friends and their violent antics at night. Like many other youths in this story, they rebell against their government the only way they can think how - with violence. Even though some of their deeds are glossed over, they are quite burtal.
Alex, thinking himself the leader of his gang and not really taking responsibility for their actions, gets arrested when one of their break-ins goes wrong. In prison, he bides his time until he can get back out and go right back to the life he left behind. Seeing an opportunity to shorten his sentence by volunteering for a method that will guarantee his release in two weeks, Alex becomes the subject to a terrible conditioning that leads him to associate any form of violence with intense pain, thus forcing him to be act and think in a non-violent way.
The third part of the book is about Alex back in his life and the struggle that ensures from his conditioning.
The entire story contains a multititude of topics, but in the center stands the question of choice. Can we take away a person's choice even if it is someone like Alex?
Even though the last chapter was meant as somewhat of a hopeful outlook and a small redemption for Alex in the form of him growing up and settling, it felt to mee like a gloomy end. Alex decides that he wants a family of his own, but fears that his children will have to go through similar things he has (i.e. acting out as teenagers) and that the cycle of violence will be never-ending.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty
draconia'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
yasmin_raev'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, and Alcohol