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tossabunch's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Murder
laurahartfield's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Vomit
forestfloor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Reading this made me feel like I had a cord tied to my diaphragm and someone was continually tugging at it, there's something terribly tender about it. The characters come to life with a brutal realism and the descriptive prose is absolutely gorgeous, like I was reading a film. It's praise when I say that I wanted the plot to leave Mungo alone a bit, only a reflection of how deeply the writing pulled me to care for him.
The plot starts off slow and as the mystery of what got Mungo from the "before" timeline into the "after" setting unravels, the pace picks up. It's tense and I think it's a really good structure for the story. However, the main thing that stops me from giving this 5.0 stars is that there's not a lot of clarity or warning about how the plot jumps between timelines and different character's points of view. I think that honestly, just formatting with that little squiggle some books use between two paragraphs would've solved that for me.
I also wished that it would've held on just a little longer before ending. Just enough to know for sure that Mungo could follow that set of splinted, beckoning fingers to safety. Instead, the ending is a bittersweet, trembling thing, a silver through a cloud that promises of sunshine and the clearing of rain, but could just as easily be covered again by a drab blanket of grey. I do think that the ending suits the story, no matter how selfishly I wanted to see Mungo and James definitively safe, on a bus together.
I also have to say, just to be clear, that this is a heavy read. I saw it described as a gay, Glaswegian, Romeo and Juliet and I can't emphasise enough how much that refers the violence of the play, as well as the romance. Definitely read the trigger warnings before deciding to pick this book up.
Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Rape, Alcoholism, Murder, Pedophilia, Outing, Religious bigotry, Drug abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Abortion and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs and Eating disorder
tarsier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, Blood, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Abortion
Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
joeykills's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Mental illness
abbie_'s review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
kerriboland'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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Violence
alisonannk'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Excrement, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, and Terminal illness
Minor: Fatphobia
kirstym25'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: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Rape
Minor: Racial slurs
sapphire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Murder, Homophobia, Death, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Racial slurs