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elmtreebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
My mom was reading at the same time as me and I got to a point where I stopped reading to warn her to put it down and not continue further, but it was too late for me at the point so I finished it.
If you don’t like the first 20 pages, do not continue. Check the content warnings and take them very seriously.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Xenophobia, and Ableism
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Excrement, Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Child death, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Stalking, Grief, Cursing, and Outing
Moderate: Mental illness, Colonisation, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Alcohol, and Misogyny
Minor: War and Slavery
knittingceliac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Racism, Rape, and Forced institutionalization
theabee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Ableism, Violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment
lindseyph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Death, Racism, and Sexual harassment
mal_reads_books's review against another edition
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Ableism, Antisemitism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, and Death
The author is a boob (and occasional ass) man for surekamrynkoble'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
3.5
My main complaint is the sheer volume of characters and the lack of a clear goal/plot/central story. And for all of the random stories I had to read about them, I really don't know them well at all. I told my cousin that if I was trying to make these characters in the Sims, I would have a bear of a time trying to come up with three traits for any of them.
Reading felt like a bit of a chore, and I think I would've taken much longer if I wasn't trying to meet my book club deadline. The nature of it just made me skim, and when I skimmed, I missed a lot of what makes this book strong. I ended up transitioning to audio because of how much I was skimming, but then I struggled to focus on the audio too. I ended up reading a summary that made me appreciate it a bit more, and I think I would've benefitted from active discussion as I read rather than just being independent until the end.
I do wish that the setting would've been more grounded. I feel like I can't clearly picture much of it, and it was so important to the story.
The strength lies in the themes. It provides ample opportunity for reflection and discussion. For these reasons though, the content warnings abound. Make sure to scan the list ahead of time if you have any common triggers.
While the summary I read helped me appreciate the bigger picture of this novel more, I think it often gets lost in the slog with this one. I didn't need McBride to be heavier-handed, but a little more focus/less distraction would've made it more impactful in my opinion.
Graphic: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, and Ableism
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Excrement
tiamia1084's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Death, Confinement, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, and Excrement
maddamreads'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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Ableism, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Death
betzine'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: Death, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Violence, Infertility, Murder, Antisemitism, Excrement, Ableism, Misogyny, Medical content, Racism, Sexual harassment, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury