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leslie_overbookedsocialworker'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
wordyanchorite'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
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Murder
wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Child death and Murder
banned_book'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
joshloftin'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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization
ritaconstantino's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism
tigertheory'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Excrement, Death of parent, and War
writingcaia'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? No
4.75
Children discarded like rotten fruit, beaten, raped, murdered for sport and no one cared. No graves, no memorials. Sad but true. The reality that humans are capable of such evil, but also, of such courage and resilience.
The writing is a bit dense and hard to get into, especially with this theme of abuse, racism, and murder. However, as soon as the decent, educated, polite, super smart, compassionate and revolutionary Elwood accidentally lands in the reformatory school things start getting heavier and harder to let go off.
What happened in the fictional The Nickel school was inspired by a true story, and we all know so many. I know I do. The catholics were responsible for so many similar abusive and murderous orphanages and schools of the type, where the most vulnerable were always the most hurt.
Racism obviously plays a huge part in the story with Elwood being so inspired by MLK and those being the times of JFK and the civil rights movement.
It’s also a story of friendship and standing up for the other.
The finale was especially heart wrenching, with a twist I saw coming, and still made me cry.
Love will always conquer even death.
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Murder
Minor: Rape
reading_robyn's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Rape