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modestmargo'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
meb1202'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
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit
marissagero'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
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Medical content, Vomit, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Car accident
emkschneider'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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
joeymd'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
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, Vomit, and Car accident
kelseyfontaine'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
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Car accident
aurslde'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
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Panic attacks/disorders
lindsaymck'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
4.75
Emma and Justin might be soulmates, but the odds were stacked against them and the patience and understanding and effort it took for both of them to be ready to meet each other where they are was refreshing. “Right person, wrong time” and “if he wanted to, he would” come to mind! For them it was so easy being together, but it wasn’t easy to stay together and they both had to fight for it. I delighted in the fight they both put up to make it work, but the waiting and the growing that had to happen is what really resonated.
I also cherish the author’s Q&A after the book because it shines such a bright light on the metaphors/symbolism/themes at work. The island Emma and Maddy live on is a simple yet effective metaphor for the emotional island she became as a result of her PTSD and avoidant attachment style. The “well-loved” unicorn stuffie is a powerful symbol of how her childhood left her emotionally battered and in need of some serious TLC and Justin seemed to know that healing her past was the only way for her to truly move forward. (Justin using the unicorn pool floatie to cross the lake like a knight in shining armor to save her just adds a cherry on top of that symbol!) Finally, the roses; It’s pretty genius that they are both a callback to her mother’s family (the one she was cruelly hidden from) and a foreshadowing of the roots she hopes to put down by planting roses at Justin’s house.
Emma’s relationship with her mother/Amber was so toxic and definitely the most troubling of all the traumas Abby Jimenez has included in this series. Despite her past and how it conditioned her to detach and not allow herself to fully give or receive love, Emma was so wise about how to show empathy and put yourself in someone’s shoes instead of judging them. Justin was in serious need of this perspective-shift as his mom is imprisoned and he takes responsibility for raising his three siblings. (My ovaries pretty much exploded any time he was around them). The way she helps him come to terms with his mom’s choices and give his mom grace while not knowing how to come to terms with her own issues is so revealing about her character. She is so focused on helping everyone else, she never lets herself get the help SHE needs. It was so important that she did take her time to help herself before fighting for the love and the life she desires and deserves. The lessons she teaches could literally become its own pearls of wisdom or self/help book. I mean…
-“In a world where you can choose anger or empathy, always choose empathy.”
-“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”
-“Not everything that comes out of crisis is bad. Sometimes your traumas are the reason you know how to help.”
-“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks. You don’t know how broken she was or what she was trying to do to fill those cracks. Being broken is not an excuse for bad behavior, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal.”
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
katieroth25's review against another edition
- 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
And a very realistic look at trauma responses and how healing is hard but possible if you find the resources and can do the work.
Much love to these characters I just want to give them all a big hug! 💜🦄
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, and Child abuse
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit