Scan barcode
theborky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
gainsandbrains's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism and Sexual assault
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Murder
hayleyfonhof'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
3.5
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Death, Bullying, Vomit, Infidelity, Transphobia, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
Minor: Blood and Death
callalilyc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Sexual assault
jo_brekker'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Addiction, Abandonment, Grief, Murder, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Bullying
anniereads221's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Vomit, Violence, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
pineapple_queen'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Rape
irenemarie'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Blood, Sexual assault, Drug use, Vomit, Violence, and Eating disorder
emmaward55's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book, whilst worth it, took a lot out of me. The stark themes of trauma, neglect and mental illness are not to be underestimated in their severity. I do wish I'd gone into the book with an awareness of how intense the narrative was, but this is still a book I will probably go on to recommend to others, despite it being both darker and sadder than my usual recs.
The ending was a surprise to me and it somehow ended on a happier / more ambiguous note than I was expecting. I really like how it resolved and the way that the murders of her English teacher and father were undone made me think of the healing that comes after a trauma has been addressed and dealt with head on. This whole book is about one girl dealing with unresolved trauma and the fallout of it, so for her to get the ending that she did was something of a relief for me. Yes, she is often an awful person in the last act of the book, but again that felt consistent with the looming threat of the climax of the book.
Whilst Magpie was not always justified in her actions, I could understand why she so drastically and I didn't begrudge her that. For her to apparently then choose to release her father and the English teacher says to me that she realised her mistake and decided that they did not do anything worthy of such a fatal punishment. That they returned and her assaulter did not, tells me that they were returned because Magpie wished it to be so, apparently having spent the months alone reflecting and healing. It also makes me wonder if she left the doorway open for Alison on purpose, some part of her perhaps realising that her ex best friend needed the escape as much as Magpie had. If that is the case, and Magpie has forgiven her, I like to think that they'll sail the seas together. Just two weary girls, and an ocean before them.
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: Cursing, Vomit, Suicide, Bullying, and Child abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Transphobia, and Gore
The child abuse is all about neglect, with the exception of one instant where a teenager is slapped by their parent during an argument. The sexual assault is written about in very graphic detail at the end of the book, although by that point the narration of it is a lot more numb and there's no real emotive language or reactions from the survivor, so whilst it's still difficult to read, it isn't anywhere near as distressing as it could be.