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adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- 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
Runaway train is a throwback to my childhood--while I was a little too young and skipped over the grunge scene until later in life, the nostalgic feel of the speech pattern, the angst, and the time before cell phones and internet was like hella dope ;-) -- while also touching on some pretty serious topics like teenage drug & alcohol abuse, depression, trauma, loss & grief, thoughts of/attempts/and successful (not of MC) unaliving.
Runaway Train introduces us to Nico, Nicole, a 16 y/o heading for her rock bottom after losing her older sister to a brain aneurism that she is convinced will take her young as well. Nico uses drugs & alcohol to cope with the pain, and after discovering some unnerving news about her parents, a crash is closer than ever. Though she self-medicates to numb the hurt, she has one thing that keeps her from losing it all, the 90s grunge music scene that seems to be made just for her. Spiraling beyond out-of-control Nico takes off on a life-changing journey of crashing, burning, and self-discovery to find the one bright light in her life--Kurt Cobain.
The way that Lee Matthew Goldberg captures the crash & burn of Nico, the angst, the grief, and what it is like to be a teenage girl that doesn't fit the social norms of what a teenage girl should be was nothing short of perfection.
***I got most triggers covered in the review but may have missed some. As this does deal with sensitive topics, readers with specific triggers should be cautious before making the choice to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Child death, Addiction, Drug use, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Homophobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug abuse, Death, and Abortion
sophieamreacher's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Not my usual type of book but I really enjoyed this. Had me hooked from the beginning and read through it really quickly.
Loved how the story handled grief and anger, plus all the references to grunge music. An interesting look into how music can help heal, as well as the people you meet along the way.
Loved how the story handled grief and anger, plus all the references to grunge music. An interesting look into how music can help heal, as well as the people you meet along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Death, Grief, and Suicide
Moderate: Vomit, Addiction, Violence, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood and Abortion
manisaavedra_'s review
Runaway train follows Nico's journey after the death of her sister Kristen, She makes a bucket list to check off along her trip.
I got up to 40% before I decided I couldn't keep reading. The premise made me think it was similar to "Love letters to the dead", both lost MCs had lost their sister, looked for a way to cope, liked Kurt Cobain, etc. Well, I didn't like this book.
I felt really uncomfortable about how the sex was handeled, a grown up man writing about a teenage girl wanting to have sex with each and every guy who crosses her eyesight was weird..
I have nothing good to say about this book
I got up to 40% before I decided I couldn't keep reading. The premise made me think it was similar to "Love letters to the dead", both lost MCs had lost their sister, looked for a way to cope, liked Kurt Cobain, etc. Well, I didn't like this book.
I felt really uncomfortable about how the sex was handeled, a grown up man writing about a teenage girl wanting to have sex with each and every guy who crosses her eyesight was weird..
I have nothing good to say about this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion, Fatphobia, Self harm, and Death
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