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oversherin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is incredibly violent and dark. You get right into the mind of the characters who are deeply troubled and hateful people who are wrecked by their environment. Chapters are long dark spirals into the depths of these characters and their darkest thoughts imaginable. Despite this, Melchor is very skilled in giving them just enough humanity that I empathized with them and wanted to stick it out to the end. As other reviewers have said, this book is deeply, disturbingly, honest in a way I have never read before. To me, the hardest part of this book is that most of the characters are children who are wrapped up in the worst of the world. The run-on prose took adjustment, but I found it very natural by middle.
Overall, I thought the story was compelling and timeless. I gritted my teeth through the whole book and had to scan some chapters because I just couldn't stomach it. However, I respect this book and the stories it's telling. There is more truth to this book than I'd like to face. It definitely affected me in an artful way.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Rape
gillian_aftanas'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
1.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Cursing, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Medical content, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Medical trauma, Outing, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Classism
kaiulanilee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Alcohol, Racism, Rape, Transphobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Moderate: Mental illness, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy and Classism
aislinn95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Suicide and Fatphobia
lain_darko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Rape, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Transphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Fatphobia, and Infidelity
odetojersey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit
bodiesinbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Transphobia
Moderate: Car accident, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Infertility
ronpayne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, and Vomit