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sarasbookmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Death, Colonisation, Physical abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Stalking, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic friendship, War, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Vomit
marina_michelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Mental illness, Bullying, Rape, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Grief, Xenophobia, Racism, Cursing, and Vomit
Moderate: Stalking and Classism
Minor: War and Colonisation
evehowell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
britbreeze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Rape, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Mental illness
emmagreenwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Self harm, Stalking, Classism, Death, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
rnbhargava's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Medical content, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, War, Drug use, Grief, Biphobia, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Rape
The entire narrative of this book is about a White American woman excusing and justifying her actions against a college friend and writer colleague who is Chinese American plus the varying moods and swings in action to conceal what she is doing. We are in the mind of the white woman character the whole time and it’s intentionally uncomfortable to be in this character’s head. Pace yourself if you need to though this novel isn’t that long.stacyaj'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
daralexandria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Grief, and Death
Minor: Rape
unluckycat13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Although it's true that there's a lot of bluntness to this book, I think there's a lot of subtlety that goes by people. You see how the main character effectively transforms into her dead friend, and comes to understand her better than she ever did when she was alive. Or at least-- Potentially. June is an unreliable narrator, and you're only ever getting her incredibly biased view of events. But it's her very believable view.
My main criticism is that June is a really fun character when she's smart (and at her most defensive) but there's a middle portion of the book where her intelligence just seems to drop completely for the sake of the message of the book. I really think the story and the thrust of the book's point could have intertwined more.
The author apparently said she wanted reading the book to feel like a panic attack, and she nails that. Some of the most painful possible experiences. I think this is a rare case where the audiobook enhances it too, because the narrator really captures what an awful snob June is.
Graphic: Racism, Death, Grief, and Sexual assault
willow1113's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Death, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Grief, Gore, Rape, and Alcohol