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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: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Child death, Torture, and Murder
summerbummer'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
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
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: Torture, Slavery, Rape, Racial slurs, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child death, Violence, Confinement, Classism, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Death, Racism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Forced institutionalization
dreamofbookspines's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, Child death, 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: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
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: Racism, Racial slurs, and Child death
tigerkind'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: Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Confinement, Child death, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Bullying, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Rape, Medical content, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Slavery, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Death
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Excrement
bookishmillennial'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
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual harassment
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: Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Child abuse
Moderate: Murder and Child death
Minor: Rape
reading_robyn's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Rape