Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

4 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• 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

This is the second time I've read The Rest of Us Just Live Here, and I think I loved it more than I did the first time. Ness does a fantastic job writing these well rounded, dynamic characters. They're all so flawed and deeply human that they're easy to love. Meredith is one of my favorite characters. She's got all the trappings of an overachieving Mary Sue protagonist, but she circumvents that pidgeon hole by being a regular kid under all of the genius. Mike, Mel, and Meredith's relationship is one of the best written sibling dynamics I've ever read, and I love how much they love and look out for each other. I also really enjoy how involved their parents are in the storytelling, even if they're not actively involved in the children's lives in the capacity that would best suit them. Their mother is flawed and bad at keeping her political aspirations from harming her children and their well being, but the reader sees her grow as a person throughout the novel as Mike gets a closer look at why their mom is the way she is. Their father's alcoholism is also very well written. They're all done expecting anything from him, but despite that they still love him in their own ways.
The way this group of friends cares for each other and know each other makes this novel really special.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Car accident, Dementia, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

saintyeehaw's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book could be fun and frustrating at the same time. The characters are interesting but the book's refusal to even say the word "bisexual" is ridiculous as one character

debates whether they are straight or gay

. There are a few moments of blatant fatphobia despite one character

literally suffering from an eating disorder

. There was also a gross comment fetishizing mixed race babies from the only known poc character in the book which was uncomfortable. Additionally, there is a romantic relationship between a 19yr old and a 25-26yr old (aka a high schooler and a college graduate) which is super questionable. Otherwise the story is okay, nothing too remarkable. The characters often feel flat with only one or two big traits. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Dementia, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Cursing, and Grief

Minor: Biphobia, Gaslighting, Police brutality, War, and Alcohol

booksthatburn's review against another edition

I wanted to like this, but I generally don't like YA contemporary, and once all the weird/magic/superhero stuff is confined to brief glimpses and chapter headings, it leaves an interestingly framed YA contemporary novel where crushes, school dances, and ongoing parental neglect are the big stakes. I'm not interested in those stakes, but if you are then this might work for you. The depiction of OCD was realistic in a way that might be triggering for anyone else who has it, including a lot of ideation. I haven't read anything else I can recall with such a realistic portrayal of this condition, so I liked that inclusion, but that wasn't enough to hold my interest (especially when that started getting stressful for me). It has a very irreverent tone which is used for everything from crush woes to discussions of current and past trauma, so please check the CWs before proceeding. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Ableism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Dementia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, and Gore

Minor: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Vomit, and Excrement

pitschi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death, Car accident, Dementia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content