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flygonjinn's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide
Minor: Murder and Infidelity
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The emotions of this story hit me a lot harder than I expected them to. The timing seems poignant, with the 2024 election involving the same bullhorn as Willa was so horrified by in the year we spent with her family.
The themes of past and future and love and grief were simply done but quite moving. The characters were so real.
The themes of past and future and love and grief were simply done but quite moving. The characters were so real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Racism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Bullying, Death of parent, Gun violence, Death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Xenophobia, Abortion, Suicide, Racism, Islamophobia, Animal death, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Medical content
Donald Trump is there in the background. The concept of homelessness is an ever present looming and real threat.skylarkblue1's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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? N/A
2.25
Content Warnings: Racism, Misogyny, Suicide, Miscarriage, Ableism, Multiple forms of slurs, Terminal illness, Animal Death, Fatphobia, Medical Content, Injury Detail, Loss of a Loved One, Grief
Another very conflicted read of mine. While I absolutely loved one of the characters (even though it seems like she was meant to be annoying?) there where many very critical problems with how themes came across and how certain parts where written.
Barbara has a lot of unchecked ableism and fatphobia, both have deeply seeped into this book in most of it's chapters. They're not used as a conversation starter or similar, they're just slipped in as part of the author's own views in all honesty. Nothing makes that more clear than the incredibly random comment about Mary being possibly on the spectrum. A character who is based on a real human!!
Another very conflicted read of mine. While I absolutely loved one of the characters (even though it seems like she was meant to be annoying?) there where many very critical problems with how themes came across and how certain parts where written.
Barbara has a lot of unchecked ableism and fatphobia, both have deeply seeped into this book in most of it's chapters. They're not used as a conversation starter or similar, they're just slipped in as part of the author's own views in all honesty. Nothing makes that more clear than the incredibly random comment about Mary being possibly on the spectrum. A character who is based on a real human!!
Reading between the lines, Willa wondered if maybe Mary was on the spectrum. But so loveable! Not a disney princess but a kind of natural-history savant, seemingly able to forget human cravings and immerse herself in the nonhuman lives around her.
And no, I don't believe this is brought up any further times, or given any additional context. Honestly absolutely disgusting this part and absolutely should have been edited out. It doesn't even make any sense whatsoever.
Additionally there's one character who's a full-on right-wing white supremacist conservative, and spouts some absolutely horrific shit constantly throughout the book, and yet we're seemingly supposed to feel sympathy for him, to just excuse his "old man on a death bed" ramblings because it's what he likes and he's on his way out.
Which, to put it bluntly, is pretty bullshit. Heavy bigoted politics like that very much hurts future generations. Indulging in people like that, who very much do exist in the real world, just because they're old/frail/on their deathbed doesn't matter. They still vote, they still rally, they still donate. Their actions 100% have a knock-on effect for everyone else around them. So no, I felt nothing for that character personally.
The history of the house was an interesting tale though. The mixture of historical and modern and how both sides slowly got more and more interwoven as the story progressed was really fascinating to read about.
It's a shame that it's a very slow burn, for not much payoff however. Characters didn't really seem to change terribly much by the end, and it was mainly only the historical PoV which had any substantial ending.
Tig rocks though. Love Tig! Literally is the main reason why it's as high as a 2.25 star lmao.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism and Racism
Minor: Fatphobia
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