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quietgrasshopper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Violence, and Self harm
merle_bookdragon'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? It's complicated
5.0
I'm usually not big on murder mystery but I guess if you package it in a YA queer contemporary with a wonderful protagonist it works. I really enjoyed Sam's POV, learning more about how they see the world and of course the wonderful realizations they had when they were finally surrounded by good friends. And my god are good friends groups one of my favorite things in literature. Sam, Shep, Sky, Aidan, and Ronnie and Jax, too, are such a wonderful group and I just wish everyone could be surrounded by such a safe group of people.
I think while this might sound cheesy one of my other favorite things was the wonderful representation we had in this book. Sam is autistic and nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, and they also identify themselves as panromantic and being on the ace spectrum. We also see Latina, Black, Vietnamese, bi, and aroace rep (and more I'm sure) in Sam's friend group and in the LGBTQIA+ club at school.
The murder mystery part starts slowly and then grows more apparent towards the second half of the book when it becomes obvious that Sam and Shep have stirred a pot that somebody clearly doesn't want to have stirred. I really liked the dynamic development and without any spoilers - I didn't guess who the murder was.
And just for a little bit of emotional pain, because Sam was really good at inflicting that on me:
"I'm not afraid of the dead, Dad. They're dead. [...] The living are scarier."
Graphic: Transphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Stalking
Minor: Self harm, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Vomit, and Outing
littleblackduckbooks'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
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death, and Murder
spark_879's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child death, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual content, and Transphobia
Minor: Vomit, Gun violence, Biphobia, Self harm, and Domestic abuse
transphobia = misgendering & harming someone because they're queer • murder = (accidental) attempted murder • sexual content = kissingtherewillbenewsuns'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
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Transphobia, Murder, Violence, and Homophobia
phoxyphoenix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Hate crime, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
anniereads221's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Medical content, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Ableism, Murder, and Biphobia
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
Anaphylaxis shocksophiesmallhands'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
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Child death, Deadnaming, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death, Gaslighting, Ableism, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol
brookworm'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Transphobia and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Stalking, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Violence