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gaby_readsss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had wanted to read this book after hearing so many polarizing opinions on it. To be honest, I don’t even know how I feel about this book yet. Part of me wants to love it but I mostly hate it. Like, I get it, but why does it have to be so complicated? If you guys love each other and are miserable without each other why do you keep letting each other go? 😭 I know that this is more than just their relationship but man, I don’t even know if these characters had any personal growth.
Also, that ending was so frustrating. I get the point but I don’t get it at the same time. 😩
I’ll go watch the show now to try and make sense of what I just read.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts
0live_tr33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I don't think I've read such a captivating book in a long while. I was completely immersed in the inner workings of this tiny little polarized world. It was engrossing, I couldn't put it down and when I did, I kept thinking about it. I feel invested in these characters and I think the author did an incredible job of bringing them to life and capturing what life is like when you're a teen/new adult. Especially the internal life we live inside our own heads.
on the other hand I fully agree with almost all criticisms of it that I've read 😂 the book is pretentious bordering on delivering a campy teenage movie (he's 17, a soccer star but he's top of his class but he's incredibly shy but he also recommends The Communist Manifesto to peers) and the not-like-other-girls girl even gets a makeover but not before she's read Swann's Way by herself at lunch. 👀 ok. Then also the treatment of disordered eating, classism, abuse and masochism and some light racism-makes-the-bad-guy-bad could also have been better handled. and honestly like on a very literal level, I feel silly caring who Connell Waldron asks to high school prom. But isn't it a sign of a strong writer that she can make me care about something like that? Ugh idk I am so torn. The characters are slightly cliche but nobody can write internal thought like this. I just don't know, send help 🏳️ I can't deny the pull that this book had on me and the fact that it made me feel things. I am a Marianne loyalist and I feel like I genuinely know her. She came to life for me.
But idk I guess I also expected something more serious (but less self-serious?) than this 🫣 for all the hype and marketing it got
Graphic: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mangofraiche's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Suicide
withlivjones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism
itsrua'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
4.25
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
ahrya's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Violence
nklimczak'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Suicide, Bullying, Classism, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Grief
jennaviolet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
elizabethwb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship