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blewballoon's review
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
2.0
I found the experience of reading this to be generally unpleasant. Backwards as it may be, the more a book is considered a "literary darling," the more skeptical I become that I will enjoy it. The forward praising the book before it actually started made me appropriately apprehensive.
I imagine there must be readers who like the main character Janet, but I did not find her relatable or sympathetic. In some ways she strikes a "not like other girls" chord to the extreme. She's above frivolous things like learning how to clean and sew, she is too busy with poetry and flouncing around her family's estate. She has the drama of Anne of Green Gables but none of the charm. Her single redeeming quality is that she likes animals and doesn't want them to suffer, but this is oddly juxtaposed with a total lack of empathy or understanding of people.She can't mercy kill a pigeon, but she did try to kill her baby sister and she nearly killed another baby sibling by handling her with the care of a bowling ball. She also didn't care about sending two boys to get seriously injured in a decaying building. These boys in particular were just children who hadn't done anything against her. It's often hard to tell what age Janet or the other children are meant to be at a given point in the story, but even so, their behavior (specifically Janet's) and lack of understanding feels too strange to be explained by childhood. I mean, not to victim blame, but a lot of Janet's suffering is because of her own choices. She makes really bad ones. Janet isn't the only one, though. Every human character sucks, sometimes more and sometimes less, but none of them are a positive presence. The Jackdaw is the best character, but he's only there for a very small part of the book, and he's a bird.
There are many instances of animal cruelty and death that are hard to read, and they contribute to the overall somewhat gross and disturbing tone of the book. Theasylum scene and the scenes with a variety of male characters after Janet has gone through some puberty also contribute to this vulgar tone, and there's a little fatphobia sprinkled in as well.
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was fine, but any parts where there were poetry or song recitations in the text felt grating to me. I felt myself clenching my teeth when they'd pop in.
I imagine there must be readers who like the main character Janet, but I did not find her relatable or sympathetic. In some ways she strikes a "not like other girls" chord to the extreme. She's above frivolous things like learning how to clean and sew, she is too busy with poetry and flouncing around her family's estate. She has the drama of Anne of Green Gables but none of the charm. Her single redeeming quality is that she likes animals and doesn't want them to suffer, but this is oddly juxtaposed with a total lack of empathy or understanding of people.
There are many instances of animal cruelty and death that are hard to read, and they contribute to the overall somewhat gross and disturbing tone of the book. The
I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator was fine, but any parts where there were poetry or song recitations in the text felt grating to me. I felt myself clenching my teeth when they'd pop in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Sexual harassment, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault and War
kirstym25's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, and Bullying
maithaalfalasi's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Sexual harassment
peculiarcelia's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Sexual harassment
readsbymoonlight's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual harassment, War, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Mental illness
mynameisrebecca's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Death
Moderate: Mental illness
shelbae_smirth's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Writing is phenomenal, but not sure if I was in the right head-space to fully take this in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
“She was bad and she knew she was bad and she could see no end to it.”
I can see why this is a beloved classic! Maggie O’Farrell’s introduction was particularly insightful. I love a coming-of-age story, and the Scottish voice and quick, considered pacing made this much more absorbing than previous failed attempts to read similar material, like I Capture The Castle. I do think the pacing was to the books detriment in the last chapter, as the ending felt a bit too sudden for me, but the rest of the book more than makes up for it. Barker’s talent for linguistics makes imagery and description rhythmic, beautiful, technically precise and often deeply moving. The teenage voice feels very careful; not so much authentic as deliberately and cautiously crafted, to great effect. Having also read The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, I do love the similarities; the perhaps unintentional narrative of embracing neurodivergence but simultaneously being cast out and punished for it was strangely modern and insightful. It feels like this could have been written last year.
I can see why this is a beloved classic! Maggie O’Farrell’s introduction was particularly insightful. I love a coming-of-age story, and the Scottish voice and quick, considered pacing made this much more absorbing than previous failed attempts to read similar material, like I Capture The Castle. I do think the pacing was to the books detriment in the last chapter, as the ending felt a bit too sudden for me, but the rest of the book more than makes up for it. Barker’s talent for linguistics makes imagery and description rhythmic, beautiful, technically precise and often deeply moving. The teenage voice feels very careful; not so much authentic as deliberately and cautiously crafted, to great effect. Having also read The Vanishing of Esme Lennox, I do love the similarities; the perhaps unintentional narrative of embracing neurodivergence but simultaneously being cast out and punished for it was strangely modern and insightful. It feels like this could have been written last year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Toxic friendship, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual harassment
layton93's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Emotional abuse
mondovertigo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Sexual harassment