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peachy_gene's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Child death, Abandonment, Death, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
jenmtnbike's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Cancer, and Death
megreads12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment and Lesbophobia
Minor: Child death and Car accident
flowchelle's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, and Abandonment
annagerman'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
2.0
It lacked a sense of place and time - Chicago in the eighties could be a fascinating setting, but it didn't really play a role.
However I did find the portrayal of depression and mental health well done and honest. I liked the calm acceptance that the family showed, it was refreshing.
Maybe I'm not the audience for this types of stories - I like familal sagas and family drama, but not stories that focus too heavily on sisterhood. I felt a similar sense with the vanishing half. Maybe as an only child it just doesn't resonate with me. 🤷🏻♀️
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death
jessicam23's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
gabbyreadstoomuch's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Mental illness
tiredfangirl's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
In terms of the characterization, I didn’t like any of the characters for about the first half of the book. I get that it was building towards the larger themes, but it meant that I wasn’t really enjoying reading it. I also really felt like for a book with such complex characters otherwise, Julia and Rose got very one-note characterizations.
Despite all that, I couldn’t seem to put it down. So… 4/5 I guess? But definitely 5/5 at times and 2/5 at times.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcoholism and Addiction
katewhite77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book and felt so seen within it's pages. It tells the story of the Padavano sisters, an Italian American family from the late 70s to late 00s, from late teenagehood to early middle age.
It is a beautifully rendered portrait of what can happen when a families supply of glue suddenly stops and things begin to fall apart. However it also shows how if the family unit is strong enough it can stitch itself back together again into a different shape.
One of the big themes of this book is truth, both in terms of being honest and lieing.
If this doesn't make it into my top books of 24 I will be surprised.
Moderate: Mental illness, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
torturedreadersdept'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Dysphoria, Grief, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Drug abuse, Infertility, and Sexual content