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abiluvr's review against another edition
4.0
Read for my degree
This took me too long to finish but it was actually really good. So sad and a very realist book. Barker doesn’t sugarcoat the things that happen in this book with pleasant euphemisms neither does she crudely describe, but approaches these events with the appropriate metaphors and analogies. I don’t know how she does it honestly. Her writing ate down🫸🏾👑🫷🏾
This took me too long to finish but it was actually really good. So sad and a very realist book. Barker doesn’t sugarcoat the things that happen in this book with pleasant euphemisms neither does she crudely describe, but approaches these events with the appropriate metaphors and analogies. I don’t know how she does it honestly. Her writing ate down🫸🏾👑🫷🏾
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Child abuse
introverted_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Child death, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Classism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Homophobia
hodgeonlucy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
This book was a triumph, a feat of dirt and grit and pain that reflected the North East at the time of writing. Each chapter was wonderful in its own right; each character was perfectly formed and nuanced, complicated in their own way but bound together by shared determination and strength. The topics covered in the chapters are hard and challenging; rape, abortion, abuse, poverty. But they are important to read about and recognise, especially from a gendered lens. Barker did this wonderfully, writing truthfully and beautifully the trials of being a woman in the North East at the time. The characters - each at a different stage of their lives - epitomised the main struggles attached to their position. Each navigated them in different ways, as fully-formed and complicated characters. The similarities between them were realistic and derived from their shared context rather than any stereotypes. Overall, this book was simply wonderful - challenging, sad, and gritty but, at moments, joyful and inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
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