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sarajjunu'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
2.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Rape, Murder, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Incest
katsteele5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn’t find Polo’s immediate willingness to go along with Franco’s scheme very convincing. I might have felt a lot differently about it had that not been the case.
Graphic: Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence
veara_'s review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Police brutality, Cursing, Pedophilia, Rape, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Homophobia, and Fatphobia
cmcrockford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Classism, Excrement, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Vomit, Murder, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Incest, and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism
Trigger warning seems like a pretty useless phrase for this book.mermaidstears's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Fatphobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Torture, Gore, Grief, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Dementia, Blood, Death, Drug use, Bullying, Excrement, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
syd_the_bookish_kid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Stalking, Drug abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Racism, Pregnancy, Blood, Ableism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Cursing, Addiction, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Toxic friendship
rasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Appreciate the story and understood the backbone. Definitely not my cup of tea.
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Blood, Cursing, and Kidnapping
suepergurl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I gave it 2 stars only because I couldn't like the characters at all and they just live a very miserable life with no signs of hope. Also the ending is a bit traumatizing.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Violence
kaiulanilee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Violence, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Body shaming
Moderate: Colonisation, Drug use, Racism, Torture, Classism, Blood, and Child abuse
jlebon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This is particularly frustrating in that I think the concept of the text is fantastic, being extremely dark in nature, presenting incel culture through the lens of the two main characters Polo and Franco and the destructive effect this mindset has upon both themselves and the people around them. However, Melchor has to be given plaudits in her nuanced presentation of such issues, cultivating characters that are products of their environment and aspects of society. Nevertheless, I do think that this was elongated to an unnecessary extent with a great portion of the middle of the text going over well-trodden ground. However, I understand how this could also be symbolic of the trapped mindset the protagonist Polo finds himself in.
As a final point, given the huge build-up to the climax of the narrative, I found the ending unsatisfactory in its briefness and confusing nature.
By no means a bad book but I definitely think it could have been improved in a multitude of aspects.
Graphic: Sexism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Rape, Body shaming, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Emotional abuse