kat1105's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Terminal illness, Classism, Confinement, Violence, Injury/injury detail, and Suicide
booksthatburn'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Death, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Ableism, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Suicide, Animal death, Violence, Medical content, Child death, Terminal illness, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping
Minor: Rape and Antisemitism
catandherbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War and Slavery
james2021's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spoiler
Vampa’s backstory (don’t think this a spoiler but alas)Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Abandonment, and Confinement
Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Slavery, Child death, Suicide attempt, and Blood
Minor: Stalking and Drug use
rchristine11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Classism, Blood, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Slavery, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Racial slurs and Incest
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
s0nagiii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
ohlhauc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I thought that it might be a bit long-winded considering how many pages it is, but it was a rather fast read. The prose felt light but substantial and flowed really well. Originally this was serialized so each chapter tends to have a mini-climax or some action in it to hook you, so the pace and energy remains high throughout the book - there really isn't a lot of exposition, although there are some moments where the narrator repeats what has happened before (but that's usually done when there's been a lot of pages in between so it's actually useful because some things you will forget since it is long).
You can read this just as a spellbinding adventure story and have a great time. But you can also go at a slower pace and really dive into the philosophical ideas and social commentary. There are a lot of layers to this novel and it's no surprise that it's a well-revered classic. This is definitely a book I can see myself re-reading in the future.
Don't let it intimidate you. If it it's on your TBR, you'll want to pick it up sooner rather than later. Don't delay on this masterpiece.
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide