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mysterymom40's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Classism, Car accident, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Confinement, and Drug abuse
bubblesparklereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Murder, Eating disorder, Self harm, Vomit, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Bullying
Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
bookishlittlebird'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
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Death of parent, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship
organizedxchaos's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Death of parent, Vomit, Car accident, Eating disorder, and Murder
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Fire/Fire injury
alaris's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I did enjoy it, it's a decent first book, but it's oddly hollow. I might read more from this author but probably not anything else featuring teen characters.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
kfajack27's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Suicide, Gaslighting, Self harm, Grief, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Child death, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Bullying
sahoek's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
grunkle's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Self harm, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Murder, and Bullying
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Eating disorder
Minor: Ableism and Adult/minor relationship
reading_under_covers's review
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Wow, this book was fucked up! We are given two rotating perspectives (third person POV of Hannah - flashbacks & present-day first-person POV of Dawn Foster). Hannah endured bullying because of her weight when she tried out for the cheerleading squad by Ella, Naomi, and Lucy - a popular girls' clique reminiscent of Mean Girls. Dawn transfers schools in her senior year of high school, and ends up living with her Aunt Maddy, then running into Ella, Naomi, and Lucy too. She makes a new friend Raquel, who is autistic and also bullied by the three popular girls.
The day after a party at Ella's house, Ella is found dead by her boyfriend, and then Dawn is immediately a suspect as the "new girl". Dawn and Raquel begin their own investigation to see who had a motive to kill Ella, and the friend group's secrets begin to unravel.
I feel uncomfortable that this, like many other psychological thrillers, posit mental illness as this evil, uncontrollable, villainous part of you? Was I a bit surprised at the twists? Sure, absolutely, and I recognize it made for an enticing story. I just wonder if the mental health representation (beyond the autistic rep) could have been navigated a bit differently.
Overall, I think Cindy RX He knows how to write a compelling, engaging story, and I will read more of Cindy's work in the future. I read this in one sitting, so it definitely kept me at the edge of my seat and I was absolutely entertained, but I still am a bit exhausted by this trope of "the bad guy was mentally ill!" that is often used in this genre.
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Ableism, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, Medical trauma, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Adult/minor relationship