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shlymiller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Child death and Grief
salemander's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Classism, Ableism, Fatphobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment
kimveach'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
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Child death, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Gun violence, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
grapie_deltaco'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? It's complicated
4.5
We receive glimpses into the lives of various tenants in a single apartment building in New York. All struggling to make ends meet. All aimless trying to make things work. All deeply flawed and stuck.
I think the beauty of the writing in this book, though, comes from Fofana’s decision to write each story phonetically on top of the deeply and jarringly distinct voices that vary from story to story. The words flow so naturally it reads like a transcript of events rather than a fictional story.
And the story <i>lite feet</i> simply broke me.
There’s a deeply uncomfortable chapter featuring a tenant with disgusting treatment toward a Chinese man who owns a local restaurant that I’m split on. Although it’s a raw look into an ignorant mind, the story would function the exact same without the use of dated and offensive terminology.
CW: sexual harassment, brief reference to child molestation and murder, addiction and heavy implications/mentions of substance abuse, brief reference to stalking and pedophilia, racism (including dated & offensive terms referring to Chinese and Roma people), brief use of ableist slur, brief reference to domestic abuse, child death, death of loved ones, grief
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Grief, Child death, Sexual harassment, and Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Addiction, Violence, and Murder
cheyrohm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Death
Minor: Grief, Violence, and Drug use