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skbat'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
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Rape, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Vomit and Alcohol
sparklefarm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
- Could have done without the entire
Matt-Mary storyline. It's not like it was portrayed in a good light, I just prefer my books without that kind of yuck. - Relatedly I never want to hear the word
penis again. - In general this book felt overwritten. So. Many. Similes.
- The writing on autism felt borderline offensive. So much talk about wanting kids to be ~normal~ and the only characters who had a different outlook were vilified. I did not get this sense from Happiness Falls, which also deals with autism, so I hope there has been some learning in the meantime.
- Incredible audio narration.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, and Rape
Minor: Grief
amberjackonski's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury
ariana3'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
3.0
Plot summary:
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Infertility, Infidelity, Car accident, and Alcohol
ehost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
amorg2013's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide and Car accident
emmaisabelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
That said I think the way Kim explores the truth of what happened, the way people invent stories to fit their own narratives and emotions, and how witnesses’ memories are formed by the complex context leading to the events of the book was fascinating. While it was sometimes jarring to switch POV so many times, I do think Kim is really good at managing all those different opinions, memories, thoughts, personalities, etc. She really raises interesting questions about truth/memory, guilt/innocence, and parenthood. I just could not handle the rampent ableism nor did I really see the point of going that hard on it. I’m just not sure the book needed that much hatred of autistic people in it lol, even if it’s pretty clear Kim is not her characters and doesn’t share their thoughts.
Overall an engrossing courtroom thriller-mystery but just too put off by the incessant ableism of the characters. If you read, just be prepared for two hundred pages of characters discussing how autistic children are problems that need to be fixed.
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
tracikennedy25's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, and Medical content
Moderate: Infertility and Suicide
romadera's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Vomit
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment