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dizpig's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Blood, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual content, Pedophilia, and Self harm
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Suicide, Dysphoria, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Classism, and Confinement
Minor: Self harm, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Medical content
jordan_noel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
There were a lot of moments I really loved in this book, but they always got ruined by the extremely sexed-up characters. Potentially serious discussions about suicidal ideation and the characters’ trauma gets overshadowed by the unnecessary and overly sexual relationships between the three main characters. Characters didn’t seem to care about each other beyond romantic attraction and there wasn’t much personality in them aside from their mental illness. Characters seemed to be attracted to each other solely because of their mental illness, appearance, and just plain presence.
Additionally, the characters just didn’t feel that different to me. They spoke the same and unless I was really paying attention to who’s talking or the character was explaining something about their past, I often had no idea which one was talking.
Lastly, I had some qualms about the way the facility and the therapists were portrayed. Was the facility juvie or a mental center? The therapists felt like they were brainwashing the patients rather than trying to help them and it wasn’t portrayed too negatively. While I feel Ellen Hopkins writes about the emotions of the more extreme difficulties of life effectively, I don’t think she handles the healing part so well. It just felt unrealistic and aimless, both for the characters that had happy endings and somehow also those that didn’t.
I felt that this book had the potential to be really great, but these parts just kind of ruined it for me.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Rape, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Abortion
Minor: Abandonment
tspice24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent
brunoshort'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
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Child abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Incest, Physical abuse, and Rape
Minor: Murder and Vomit
beccam22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🥀🖤 Dark truthful stories
👪👯♀️ Found Family
🛑Please read triggers warnings ⚠️
Ellen Hopkins is known for beautiful dark stories and this is nothing less than that. Written in verse, so much is said and conveyed with the lest amount of words and it cuts deep. Three teenagers go through a treatment program after attempting suicide, each for their own reasons and their own way. They find friendship and love and what is love.
These can be possible spoilers but I feel like it’s needed for some people in depth the possible triggers are:
There are detailed descriptions of self harm and suicidal thoughts. All main characters did attempt suicide and it is described in the very beginning how each of them attempted. There is detailed adult/minor relationships as well as rape and grooming. Can be considered forced institutionalization since all main characters are minors and family is requiring them to attend the treatment center. There is a character with bipolar and family history of bipolar, the history does go in depth and how it effected them growing up. There is a character who has an abortion and the guilt from it. There are absent parents, both military and simply leaving for a better life. There are parents who expect perfection and the pressure that comes with that. There is a successful suicide. Please do not read this if you are not in a good head space.
Graphic: Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Addiction, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Ableism, Eating disorder, and Homophobia
These can be possible spoilers but I feel like it’s needed for some people in depth the possible triggers are: There are detailed descriptions of self harm and suicidal thoughts. All main characters did attempt suicide and it is described in the very beginning how each of them attempted. There is detailed adult/minor relationships as well as rape and grooming. Can be considered forced institutionalization since all main characters are minors and family is requiring them to attend the treatment center. There is a character with bipolar and family history of bipolar, the history does go in depth and how it effected them growing up. There is a character who has an abortion and the guilt from it. There are absent parents, both military and simply leaving for a better life. There are parents who expect perfection and the pressure that comes with that. There is a successful suicide. Please do not read this if you are not in a good head space.urmom456's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship
wama's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Homophobia
Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
The romance subplot felt forced and unnecessary to me but other than that it was a good book. The ending left me shatteredbrookey8888's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is honestly really depressing, but important. Check content warnings because this is dark and it talks about a lot of things. I changed it from a full five to a 4.4 because I felt like some of the things said were a little problematic. For example a character said the only thing that could save her was being in love and as this is YA I just am not fully comfortable with that. Other then a few some things it still holds up and I love that it’s written in verse.
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship