Scan barcode
grboph'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cursing, Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
The two main plot points driving this book are the main character's older brother becoming addicted to painkillers and then dying of a heroin overdose and the main character's mother becoming depressed and attempting suicide as a result.emi98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I understand this impulse. I, too, have spent years creating my little moat of good deeds in an attempt to protect the castle of myself. I don’t want to be dismissed the way that Nana was once dismissed. I know that it’s easier to say Their kind does seem to have a taste for drugs, easier to write all addicts off as bad and weak-willed people, than it is to look closely at the nature of their suffering. I do it too, sometimes. I judge. I walk around with my chest puffed out, making sure hat everyone knows about my Harvard and Stanford degrees, as if those things encapsulate me, and when I do so, I give in to the same facile, lazy thinking that characterizes those who think of addicts as horrible people. It’s just that I’m standing on the other side of the moat. What I can say for certain is that there is no case study in the world that could capture the whole animal of my brother, that could show how smart and kind and generous he was, how much he wanted to get better, how much he wanted to live. Forget for a moment what he looked like on paper, and instead see him as he was in all of his glory, in all of his beauty. It’s true that for years before he died, I would look at his face and think, What a pity, what a waste. But the waste was my own, the waste was what I missed out on whenever I looked at him and saw just his addiction."
Pain is unavoidable, but how long can suffering last? This is the question we must ask ourselves, and to others, next time we make our cruel and benevolent judgements.
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment
alisonannk'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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Medical trauma
Minor: Hate crime, Misogyny, and Sexism
taroroot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent
jaynovara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
reddeddy'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
rory1387's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Abandonment
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
carbs666'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
samarakroeger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, and Abandonment