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atamano'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
3.0
Graphic: Sexism, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Classism, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Body shaming, and Drug use
ms_sarah621's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Car accident, Bullying, Hate crime, Outing, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Terminal illness, Police brutality, and Gun violence
aelis_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexism
sharkysheets'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Car accident, Sexism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Cursing, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Gun violence
kshertz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, and Toxic relationship
alouette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
At our best, we only see a glimpse of the universal gearwork, and even then, we don't understand what we see. Some people find that demoralizing- but to me it's comforting. Because if all of existence was something a human mind could comprehend, what a sad, pathetic universe this would be.
as a queer, afab, person of colour (who can't do sports!), i'm basically everything that Ash is not. so none of the revelations he faced in the course of this novel were particularly eye-opening to me. however, i think the idea was important, and Neal Shusterman's writing style is very easy to read- it flows very, very well. the absurdist magical realism and brain-boggling descriptions were so fun and enjoyable; i loved the twists that it took, especially near the start when all we knew of what was going to happen was "blue stop signs"! a lot of the dialogue made me laugh, as well, and a lot of other lines were just good phrasing of what's happening in the world right now. overall, this wasn't some life-changing book for me, but a read that made me happy anyways because of its accessibility and good intentions.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Police brutality and Violence
mira123'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: Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
kbergsten'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: Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexism, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Medical content
betweentheshelves'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
3.5
By the end of the book, I'd say this felt a little like Every Day by David Levithan. Ash's identity changes a few times throughout, and it's unclear exactly where he ends up at the end. Given the pacing of the second half of this book, I think I would definitely read a second book set in this world.
Overall, despite the bumpy start, Shusterman leaves readers thinking by the end of this alternate universe adventure.
This had a bit of a bumpy start for me, but it picked up about halfway through. More to come in a full review tomorrow!
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime
Minor: Drug use