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tishtashtitles's review
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Hate crime, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death
bookmark3brodi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Addiction, Abandonment, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Police brutality, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Abortion, Violence, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Pregnancy
commiebeatle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Child abuse, Blood, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexism
kayarosee'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Alcohol, Murder, Homophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Rape, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia
karitu3's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Blood, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Violence, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence
fkshg8465'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Abandonment, Abortion, Kidnapping, Addiction, Confinement, Physical abuse, Bullying, Rape, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Classism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
brittonmc1221's review
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Outing, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Abortion
jkneebone's review
- 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
3.5
In the shorter timeline - the 'after' - Mungo is sent by Mo-Maw on a fishing trip with two men she knows from AA. Calling themselves St Christopher and Gallowgate, they take Mungo on a multi-bus journey to a remote loch. The men are former convicts and heavy alcoholics, but only after Mungo is there does he realize the real danger he might be in.
I read this for a book club, as it is not the kind of book I would pick up normally, and though I was glad to have the chance to branch out, it was still not my cup of tea. I think it was well written, if perhaps a tad longer than it needed to be (although despite the length, it felt like a quick read; the writing was very engaging). All of the characters were so well developed and interesting, even if most of them were more unlikable than not. The setting was quite vivid as well, although it threw me off that the era wasn't made clear earlier on - maybe there was a hint that I missed, but while I got that it was the 90s eventually, I spent way too much time wondering at the beginning.
Overall I interpreted this as a sort of commentary on poverty and abuse, the cyclical/heritable nature of trauma, and the deep claws of homophobia. Mo-Maw got pregnant young and holds this against her children; we see this pattern playing out with Hamish and Sammy Jo
I'm conflicted about the ending - it definitely improved my feelings on the book overall, but I wish that it hadn't taken so long to get to that point.
Heavy, heavy topics throughout - definitely read the content warnings if you're sensitive about pretty much anything. There is a lot of sad, bad stuff going on.
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Abortion
torismazarine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Outing, Violence, Abortion, Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Police brutality
kittiesss's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Child abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Addiction