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kaylaannsreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Hate crime, Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, War, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Terminal illness
emeister3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The second half of the book is much better than the first. The first 50% of the book alternates between 3 different female POVs and, as a result, I kept pinging between 3 different feelings - boredom, sadness, and shock. It had me feeling so downtrodden that I didn’t want to finish it. However…these atrocities are a part of history. They happened to real humans and, tragically, were committed by real humans. And their stories deserve to be heard, then to never happen again. As Norman Cousins wrote, “…what is told here is not a glimpse into the bowels of an imaginary hell but part of our world.”
Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Cursing, War, Death of parent, Death, and Genocide
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Car accident, Rape, Medical content, Child abuse, Alcohol, Child death, Animal death, Cancer, Infidelity, Racism, Infertility, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Incest, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abortion
jdonner's review
- 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? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: War, Racial slurs, Rape, Gore, Murder, Torture, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Slavery
meg_elyse'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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Deportation
Moderate: Sexism, Racial slurs, Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, and Colonisation
saliwali'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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Genocide, Police brutality, War, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Antisemitism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Torture, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Animal death, Hate crime, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
ireri's review
- 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
4.5
Minor: Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, Torture, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
nicole1832's review
- 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? No
2.5
The three point of views interested me at first, but by the end of the book, I was only interested in one of them. Caroline's socialite life felt vapid compared to the hardships Kasia went through, and reading about Herta became uncomfortable by the latter part of the book. I had a hard time understanding how Caroline's and Herta's POVs justified their presence in the context of the overall story, which was at its heart really about Kasia. (Side note: the cover of this book is *very* misleading. It implies that the three POV characters eventually become friends. That is very much not the case.)
The book seems to want to be an examination of the emotions of these three women, but it always seemed to back away when things got most interesting. This was clearest in Herta's POV - she went from being horrified at what was happening at the camps to being complicit in it at what felt like breakneck speed. I understand not wanting to delve into a Nazi's POV, but if you're not going to fully explore it, why bother giving her a POV at all?
Meanwhile, Caroline's behavior and attitudes toward her romance arc were hard to understand. Her arc became frustrating to read toward the end and ultimately felt unnecessary. And Kasia had problems with PTSD and anger later in life that were glossed over and ultimately resolved in a way that felt insultingly simplified.
On top of all that, the writing felt trite and amateurish, easy to read but ultimately failing to create any kind of mood. (And this book had some of the dullest hetero romances possible.)
I was interested in the first half, simply because WWII stories, and stories about the horrors of the concentration camps, will always be powerful. But the importance of the historical subject matter is really all the book has going for it, in my opinion.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, War, Body horror, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
kaela_arcuri's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Genocide, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Antisemitism
amandapearl2's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual assault
claudiamacpherson's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders